Karnataka: Legislative Council's Deputy Chairman dies by alleged suicide
The Deputy Chairman of Karnataka's Legislative Council, SL Dharme Gowda, has died by alleged suicide, reports said on Tuesday. His body was found on a railway track near Kadur in Chikkamagaluru. A member of Janata Dal (Secular), 64-year-old Gowda was in the news recently after he was manhandled by a group of Congress leaders inside the Assembly. Here are more details.
As per Bangalore Mirror, last evening, Gowda left his home in his Santro car. He wasn't accompanied by anyone. When he didn't return home till late at night, the police and his staff launched a search operation. Subsequently, his body was found. The corpse was sent to Shimoga Government Hospital for further probe. Police confirmed that a note has been recovered.
"The matter is under investigation. There was a death note recovered from the site but cannot give out details of what's in it," IGP West said about the incident. His last rites will be held in his native village Sarapanahalli.
Expressing grief over the incident, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda said, "It is shocking to learn the news of Deputy Speaker of State Legislative Council and JDS leader SL Dharme Gowda's suicide. He was a calm and decent man. This is a loss of the state." His son and the former CM of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy said JD(S) lost an impeccable leader.
In a tweet, Kumaraswamy called the deceased his brother. "We lost a politician of impeccable personality. May the Lord have mercy on the family and fans of Dharme Gowda," he wrote. CM BS Yediyurappa of the BJP also termed the incident shocking, while adding that he is in touch with officials about the incident. He prayed for strength for Gowda's family.
Reportedly, Basavaraj Horatti, a senior member of the JD(S), said that Gowda was upset after he was dragged from his chair earlier this month. According to him, Gowda didn't leave his house for over a week due to the "humiliation." To note, Congress MLCs had forcefully removed him from the chairman's seat, saying it was "unconstitutional" that he occupied it.
#WATCH Karnataka: Congress MLCs in Karnataka Assembly forcefully remove the chairman of the legislative council pic.twitter.com/XiefiNOgmq
— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2020
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.
