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Official found dead at tehsildar’s office; suicide suspected, say cops
The deceased left messages accusing several officials, including a personal assistant (PA) who allegedly worked for minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar
A 35-year-old official was found dead at the tehsildar’s office in Belagavi on Tuesday, police said, adding that he left messages accusing several officials, including a personal assistant (PA) who allegedly worked for minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar. Police suspect it to be a case of suicide.
Belagavi deputy commissioner of police Rohan Jagadish said: “The official, who was found dead at the office, reportedly left purpoted video and text messages on social media accusing three people - tahsildar Basavaraj Nagaral, Ashok Kabbaligar, and an individual identified as Somu, a PA allegedly of Hebbalkar. A suicide note was recovered from the deceased.” HT could not verify the veracity of the video or the suicide note.
Jagadish quoted the deceased’s colleagues as stating that he had allegedly sent a message to the office’s WhatsApp group on Monday night, announcing his intention to end his life. The following morning, the cleaning staff allegedly discovered his body, he said.
He further said that the deceased had reportedly informed his mother the previous day that he wouldn’t return home for dinner. He had recorded a video explaining his decision and shared it with his colleagues on WhatsApp, though the video was later deleted, the DCP quoted one of the colleagues as stating. He then went out of contact, and his body was discovered hanging in the office the next morning.
Jagadish said, “The body of the official was brought down in the presence of his mother... and handed over to his relatives after completing the autopsy.” He further said that the case was filed as an unnatural death under BNS section 108 (abetment of suicide), carrying a maximum punishment of 10 years if the accusations are proven.
He added, “As several investigative procedures have to be done to detect the suspected suicide case, we initially registered the case as an unnatural death for provocation to suicide and will add a few more sections in the final charge sheet.”
One of the colleagues of the deceased, on condition of anonymity, said: “Minister’s PA Somu Doddawad used to interfere in the day-to-day work of the tehsildar office and forced us to do work that was not supposed to be done. The deceased, who was a personal assistant to the tehsildar, used to work under high pressure from PA Somu Doddawad.”
Jagadish said that both the video and suicide note have been sent to forensic laboratory and to the Cyber Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) cell for verification. “Until the report from CEN, we can’t say anything about it,” he added.
Responding to the accusations by the deceased, Belagavi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district (rural) president Sanjay Patil said that minister Hebbalkar’s aides held significant, unauthorised control over various departments.
“Minister Lakshmi has deputed two-three of her assistants in all the government departments who do roll call every month and transfer those who do not respond,” Patil stated.
He said: “The minister’s assistants illegally deal in the administrative works of all departments in Belagavi district, collect roll calls every month, and even check the accounts of every department. She has more than 75 PAs who control all departments.”
In response, Hebbalkar said: “I don’t know who Somu is. I’m not responsible for what people do in my name in government offices.” She added that the police are “inquiring about the person named Somu.”
