Kalaburagi, Dec 27 (IANS): A young contractor on Thursday died by suicide in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district following the alleged threats to his life and extortion by an aide of Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, police said.
The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Sachin.
He died by suicide in front of a moving train and the police found his body on the railway track near Kattitongov in Bidar district.
The deceased contractor has left a seven-page suicide note and alleged that Minister Kharge's aide and Kalaburagi City Corporation's former member Raju Kapanuru's atrocities led him to take the extreme step.
The deceased had alleged that Raju Kapanuru had taken Rs 15 lac from him by promising to get a tender but instead cheated him.
It is also alleged that Raju Kapanuru had demanded Rs 1 crore from the deceased and threatened to kill him, police said.
The deceased had mentioned the names of six persons responsible for his death.
The suicide note says that along with Raju Kapanuru, all other accused issued life threats to the deceased.
The family of the deceased has expressed outrage regarding the incident and demanded that the accused be immediately arrested.
Reacting to the development, Minister Priyank Kharge said, "I came to know about the incident just now. I will make a demand that whether the accused is my associate or a Congress party worker, the investigation should be conducted. I will not try to silence the matter and won't say that an investigation is not required. I will request the Home Minister G. Parameshwara to get a thorough investigation done regarding the incident."
The Karnataka BJP unit earlier had accused Minister Priyank Kharge of being directly responsible for a series of murders of its party workers in his native Kalaburagi district of the state.
The BJP also said that during Priyank Kharge's tenure, incidents of murders and extortions have increased, adding that "after Priyank Kharge took over as the district in-charge minister of Kalaburagi, BJP workers and leaders have been hacked to death one after the other".
BJP has asserted that Priyank Kharge, who handed over the Kalaburagi district to criminals, is directly responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation.
Following the killing of Mahantappa Aloore, another BJP leader Girish Chakra was hacked to death, the BJP said.
"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sack Minister Priyank Kharge, who is responsible for the derailing of the law and order situation in Kalaburagi district," the BJP said.