CHIKKAMAGALURU: Leader of JD (S) and Vice Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council SL Dharmegowda (65) was found dead on the train tracks near Kadur in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka in the early hours of Tuesday. Police suspect he may have committed suicide by passing under a moving train.
Chikkamagalur DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham told TOI that the cause of death can only be confirmed after autopsy. Top leaders, including the BJP’s national secretary general, CT Ravi, and Dharmegowda’s brother, Bhojegowda, who is also an MLC, were quick to spot.
A probe has been launched into the death of Dharmegowda, whose body parts have been recovered from the scene.
According to sources, Dharmegowda left her home in Sakharayapattana in Kadur around 7pm on Monday, but then disappeared. He had a police escort, but left home unescorted in his personal four-wheeler with a driver. After arriving at the scene, the vice president asked the driver to leave the scene before calling one of his acquaintances. Dharmegowda claimed to have asked about the movement of the train at the time. Later his phone remained off.
The police escort team and family members became suspicious after her phone remained turned off. News of his death broke out around midnight.
Dharmegowda had been in the limelight recently when he was removed from the chairman’s seat in a row related to the motion of no confidence brought against council chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty
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