Tehsildar’s office in Belagavi locked after death of an official
Police temporarily locked the office on Thursday morning after the three people, named in the deceased’s suicide note, allegedly went missing
Amid a row over the alleged suicide of an official in Belagavi tehsildar’s office, police temporarily locked the office on Thursday morning after the three people, named in the deceased’s suicide note, allegedly went missing, an officer said. The opposition also staged protests near the deputy commissioner’s office demanding minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s resignation.
A 35-year-old second division assistant (SDA) at the tehsildar office in Belagavi was found dead on Tuesday morning at the office in Risaldar Galli. He reportedly left messages on social media accusing three people, including tehsildar Basavaraj Nagaral, Ashok Kabbaligar, and an individual identified as Somu, a PA allegedly associated with women and child development minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar .
An officer, on condition of anonymity, said: “After the police found that the three people named in the deceased’s suicide note had gone missing, a search operation for them was initiated on Thursday. For a brief period the tehsildar’s office was also locked but it was reopened 11.30 am to minimise inconvenience to the public.” The officer further said that Nagaral and Kabbanagi reportedly disappeared after the filing of an FIR with the Khadebazar police.
On Monday night, the SDA died allegedly by suicide in the tehsildar’s office, citing unbearable mental torment inflicted by his superiors and Somu Doddawad, who is allegedly one of the PAs of Hebbalkar.
Before the suicide, the deceased shared a purported video message on the office’s official WhatsApp group, naming Nagaral, Kabbanagi, and Doddawad as the reason behind his decision. HT could not verify the veracity of the video.
Police also recovered a handwritten note from the deceased’s pocket, where he reiterated his allegations, explicitly mentioning Doddawad’s role in pressuring him to perform illicit tasks. Citing the note, police said the deceased had allegedly paid Doddawad ₹2 lakh in exchange for a more favourable office position, with hopes of securing a role that provided greater earning potential.
The transaction reportedly took place near a Ganapati temple close to minister Hebbalkar’s neighbourhood. However, after failing to secure the position, the deceased requested his money back, only to face escalating pressure from Doddawad, who ultimately arranged for his transfer to Savadatti town as part of the Savadatti Yallamma temple trust, a move the official reportedly resisted.
Amid the row over the official’s death, Belagavi BJP and JD(S) leaders held a protest on Thursday, demanding Hebbalkar’s resignation.
The BJP also called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, citing concerns of evidence tampering, particularly noting the disappearance of the deceased’s phone.
Sanjay Patil, Belagavi district (rural) BJP president, said: “The minister is trying to protect the three accused who have been named by the official before his death. We demand a CBI probe into the matter.”
Hebbalkar responded to the allegations, stating she had no direct knowledge of Doddawad’s actions. The minister said: “As a minister, people may misuse my name. I am not responsible.”