Contractor's death: Eshwarappa 'won't resign', kin refuse to take body

Amid mounting opposition pressure for his resignation over the death of a civil contractor, senior Karnataka Minister K S Eshwarappa on Wednesday ruled out stepping down from his post, as he wondered if a Whatsapp message can be treated as a 'death note'.

Meanwhile, the family members of deceased Santhosh K Patil, including his brother Prashanth, on whose complaint a case has been registered against Eshwarappa, have refused to accept his body until the accused in the case are arrested.

The FIR filed by Udupi town police names Eshwarappa as the first accused in the abetment to suicide case.

The Udupi police on Wednesday completed the inquest into the death of Patil.

After visiting the hotel room, Prashanth had filed a complaint late on Tuesday night and named Eshwarappa and his aides Ramesh and Basavaraj as accused.

He said the accused should be arrested before the post-mortem of the body is conducted.

"We will not allow shifting of the body to Manipal. We have already informed our stand to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. We are fighting for justice and the decision has been taken for the peace of Santhosh's soul," Prashanth told reporters in Udupi.

The minister, on the other hand, demanded a probe into the 'conspiracy' behind Patil's death.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister also wondered how a WhatsApp message can be treated as a 'death note' and said it can be typed by anybody, referring to the purported message by Patil.

No signed or written 'death note' was found near Patil's body, he said.

"The question of my resignation does not arise at all. I will not bow to the opposition demand for my resignation," Eshwarappa said in a press conference at his home town.

The 37-year-old contractor had earlier alleged that Eshwarappa demanded 40 per cent commission for release of funds for the civil works undertaken by him at Hindalga village in Belagavi district ahead of a festival.

The contractor allegedly committed suicide in a lodge in Udupi on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday by consuming some poisonous substance, according to police.

Reiterating that he did not know Patil, the minister even said he was not 'even related' to the BJP.

"Today only I spoke to the Belagavi district rural president. He told me he (Santosh Patil) has no relation with the BJP. Some people are creating relationship. For whom are they creating this connection? This is the conspiracy. It should be probed," Eshwarappa said.

The minister also insisted upon producing documentary evidence to show that he was involved in the case.

"The conspiracy behind the death should be probed. Did he die on his own or for some other reason must be investigated," Eshwarappa said.