The body of 64-year old Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson SL Dharmegowda was found beside a railway track at Gunasagara in Kadur taluk, in the state’s Chikkamagaluru district, early on the morning of December 29.
According to reports, Dharmegowda had left his farmhouse at Sakharayapattana after 10 PM on Monday night. After he failed to return home, family members went searching for him and found his body near a railway track between Gunasagara and Kabli. According to sources close to Dharmegowda, he had asked the driver of the car to park the vehicle near the railway track at Gunasagara and had reportedly told the driver that he was meeting someone there.
All necessary arrangements have been made at District McGann Hospital, Shivamogga for an autopsy. Police security has been beefed up around the hospital too. MLC R Prasanna Kumar, Urban Development Minister B A Basavaraju, district in-charge Minister K S Eshwarappa and other elected representatives are present at the hospital.
In a tweet, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa expressed his shock and sorrow at hearing the news of Dharmegowda’s tragic death.
ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಎಸ್.ಎಲ್.ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ದಿಗ್ಭ್ರಮೆ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ನಂಬಲಿಕ್ಕೇ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಶಾಸಕರಾಗಿ, ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳಾಗಿ ಜನಮನ್ನಣೆ ಗಳಿಸಿದ್ದ ಅವರ ದುರಂತ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಃಖವನ್ನುಂಟು ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಹಿರಿಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಂದ ಘಟನೆಯ ವಿವರ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (1/2)
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) December 29, 2020