Deputy Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council found dead on railway track, suicide suspected

Chikkamagaluru: The Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, SL Dharmegowda was found dead on a railway track near Gunasagara in Kadur taluk of Chikmagalur district, which is his hometown. He is suspected to have died by suicide in the early hours of Tuesday. A note was recovered from near his body.

According to reports, on Monday evening, he had gone out of his farm in Sakkarayapattana village in his car and never returned. The worried family started to search for him and finally, the police found him dead near the railway track on Tuesday morning.

Several politicians have made statements of condolence, expressing grief over his loss. JD(S) leader, Kumaraswamy, on Twitter stated that the party had lost an 'impeccable' politician. He also called Dharmegowda a victim of 'today's polluted, unprincipled, selfish politics'.

The death has not yet been conclusively ruled as a suicide, and probe into the matter continues.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Janata Dal (S) second-in-command, H. D. Kumarswamy demanded that a fact-finding committee must be constituted to find out the real reasons behind his death

Kumaraswamy told before media that Gowda was truly upset with the incidents that had led to abrupt sine die of the Legislative Council, since two weeks. "This is politically conspired murder. Those who pulled, shoved and dragged Gowda must question their own conscience, whether what they have done is right or wrong?" he questioned.

Although he blamed Congress party for Gowda's death, Kumaraswamy was very careful in his words by neither naming any leader nor naming the party directly. All throughout, he maintained those who dragged Gowda from the chair must answer questions..

Meanwhile refusing to comment, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, D. K. Shivakuamr said that he does not wish to react to Kumarswamy's allegations. "He must be upset, when he has lost his friend. He may have emotionally spoken if he has made any such remarks. I do not wish to react to these type allegations at this juncture," he said.

The 65 year old JD(S) leader recently received media attention as he was at the center of the ruckus in the Legislative Council in the second week of December, when he was forcibly removed from the Chair. This occurred in relation to the no confidence movement against the chairman, K Pratatpachandra Shetty.

The ruckus in the council had followed the attempt by the ruling BJP and JDS to take up the no-confidence motion against Shetty, despite it not finding mention in the day's agenda.

Shetty had rejected the notice for the motion citing procedural lapses and pointing out that no specific charges were made against him.

However, insisting on going ahead with it, the BJP and the JDS had attempted to take up the motion by seating the Deputy Chairman on the chair.

(inputs from Mafazah Sharafudheen)