File case against Eshwarappa under Prevention of Corruption Act: Congress

Bengaluru: Accusing the Karnataka government and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of trying to protect Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, the opposition Congress on Friday demanded his arrest and that he should be booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The opposition party also urged that an impartial investigation be conducted by the police under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court.

Eshwarappa, against whom police have booked a case for allegedly abetting the suicide of contractor Santosh K Patil, was in Bengaluru to submit his resignation to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai later on Friday evening, as a political furore erupted over the issue.

The Congress that has found a fresh ammunition against the ruling party ahead of the assembly election next year, has formed nine teams, and each team will be travelling to at least two to three districts, to inform people regarding "40 per cent commission and rampant corruption" under the current BJP government.

The party that staged an overnight protest at Vidhana Soudha said it later plans to take its protests to assembly constituency level, to bring to the notice of the people that "Karnataka has been turned into the capital of corruption" by the BJP.

The Congress also plans to hold a protest rally at Hospet in Vijayanagara district, where the ruling BJP State executive committee meeting is slated to be held under the leadership of its national President J P Nadda.

"There is a categorical allegation in the complaint, Santosh Patil has also said it before the media. Despite this, an FIR has not been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act purposely...cases have been registered only for abetment," Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, former chief minister Siddaramaiah said there is deliberately a clear omission on the part of the state government and the police.

"We demand that the case be registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act...he (Eshwarappa) has to be immediately arrested as the allegation is of a heinous crime...," he said.

Compensation worth Rs 1 crore should be given to the family of the deceased Santosh Patil and government job to his family, and pending bill of Rs 4 crore should be cleared.

Alleging that attempts are on to somehow shut the case aimed at protecting Eshwarappa, Siddaramaiah said with Chief Minister Bommai himself giving a certificate of innocence to him, there cannot be an impartial investigation.

He demanded that a probe should be conducted by the police under the supervision of a sitting judge of the High Court. "Eshwarappa is not a common man, it should be seen that evidence is not destroyed by him and his associates...we are not doing this for politics, but to make Karnataka free from corruption."

KPCC President D K Shivakumar also questioned as to why a case has not been registered against Eshwarappa in the FIR, under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He alleged that the Chief Minister himself has become a "judge and investigation officer", by giving a "certificate" to Eshwarappa, stating that he will come out clean, even before the investigation is completed.

"Karnataka has become a capital of corruption. Neither the Prime Minister, nor Nadda or anyone is speaking about it," he said, demanding a probe by a sitting judge of the Karnataka High Court.

Santosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa, who is also a senior BJP leader, of corruption.

In a purported suicide note in the form of a WhatsApp message, Patil had blamed Eshwarappa for his death.

Patil last month complained to Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and also BJP central leaders stating that he was yet to be paid Rs 4 crore for road works undertaken in Hindalga village and had accused Eshwarappa's aides of demanding 40 per cent commission for the release of the payment.