FIR against Karnataka minister Eshwarappa in contractor death case

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka minister KS Eswharappa after a contractor, who accused the minister of demanding commission for road construction, was found dead, with the cause of death suspected to be suicide.

The development came even as the opposition Congress and JD(S) demanded Eshwarappa's resignation for the death of Santosh K Patil, who, besides being a contractor, identified himself as the national secretary of the Hindu Vahini, a right-wing group. Patil, who was found dead in a lodge in Udupi district on Tuesday, had accused the state panchayat raj and rural development minister of demanding commission to the tune of Rs. 4 crore for construction of a road in Belagavi's Higaldo village.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP, and Eshwarappa himself, have rejected the opposition's call for his ouster, with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai saying that the police will conduct a 'thorough and detailed' investigation in the case.

In recent days, Eshwarappa has made several controversial religious remarks. He is also facing a court-ordered probe for alleged provocative comments made by him following the murder of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha, who was fatally stabbed in Shivamogga, in February.