Karnataka minister’s special officer meets family of ST dept official who ended life

Two days after Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation superintendent P Chandrashekhar ended life uncovering a scam in death note, Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra’s special officer visited the residence of the deceased officer in the city on Tuesday.

The officer told Kavita, wife of Chandrashekhar, that the minister has decided to extend full assistance to the family and to ensure justice for the officer’s death.

Kavita told the officer that her husband did not end his life willingly. She alleged that higher officers levelled fund misuse charges against him and compelled him to take the extreme step.

“What kind of justice will you give?” she said. 

She said her husband had been working in the corporation for the past eight years. He was admitted to District McGann general hospital in Shivamogga for more than a month during Covid-19 pandemic. He had survived with medical oxygen for eight months. He had pledged gold ornaments to bear the medical expenses.

Kavita said she is working as a daily-wage worker to run the family. Her husband was staying in a small room in Bengaluru, while the family remained in Shivamogga as the income was not enough to sustain the family in Bengaluru.

Vinobanagar police said that an FIR had been registered on the basis of the death note. But nobody has been arrested in connection with the case so far.