CHIKKABALLAPURA, 7 AUG

A 35-year-old contract driver, M Babu, employed by the Zilla Panchayat in Chikkaballapura, died by suicide on Thursday morning, allegedly hanging himself from a tree at the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises. Police stated that a death note was found, naming BJP MP K Sudhakar along with two others. 

The other men named are Nagesh and Manjunath. Nagesh’s father-in-law was reportedly a former JD(S) taluk panchayat president and joined the BJP after Sudhakar. The deceased claimed that they were both Sudhakar’s aides.

According to Superintendent of Police Kushal Chouksey, Babu had been with the Zilla Panchayat for six to seven years and was assigned to the chief accounts officer. The SP further stated that Babu informed his wife he was driving an officer to a meeting, but instead went to the DC office.

The note allegedly states that Nagesh and the accounts assistant "cheated him of several lakhs of rupees", claiming they could help him secure a government job "using the MP’s influence". They reportedly demanded Rs 40 lakhs from him, of which he furnished 25 lakhs. 

However, a year passed, and neither of them delivered upon their promise to Babu. 

Babu, reportedly from the Dalit community, demanded legal action against the three named in his suicide note.

In response to the tragedy, Sudhakar said, “I have never seen or met this person, Babu, in my public life”. 

"I have no information about the other two individuals named in the note. I don’t know (Nagesh and Manjunath) personally," he added.

Angered by the death of the Dalit youth, many Dalit organisations and Congress workers protested in Chikkaballapura and demanded action against Sudhakar and others. 

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