KRIDL contractor in Davanagere commits suicide over alleged corruption, unpaid bills

DAVANAGERE : Six days after the suicide of a Superintendent of the Maharishi Valmiki Schedule Tribe Development Corporation, Chandrasekaran (45), over alleged corruption, a contractor of the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) in Davanagere ended his life over unpaid bills.

Chandrasekaran’s suicide has already led to a loud political row in the state, with the BJP targeting the state government.

The deceased KRIDL contractor has been identified as P S Goudar, a resident of Santhebennur in Channagiri taluk. He left behind a suicide note at his house on May 26 alleging that he was not getting payment for the works completed.

Goudar claimed that he was supposed to get Rs 5,00,000 in dues for the work he had undertaken on the premises of the Agriculture Department in Santebennur which was done in 2023-24. He has written in the death note that the KRIDL officials have not paid his bill and harassed him which led led him to take the extreme step.

There are also allegations that his two brothers were also cheated by the KRIDL officials in financial matters.

Following the contractor’s suicide, his wife Vasanthakumari has lodged a complaint with the Santhebennur police. The work was completed in the last year of the previous BJP government, but the present Congress government has not cleared the bill so far, she said.

“On the one hand, the mango crop was also lost in this area, and on the other hand, he did not get the dues which were supposed to be released by the government. He met many officials, including in Bengaluru and Davangere, but there was no positive response from them”, she pointed out.

Further, Vasanthakumari said, “He mortgaged the gold as we had no money to pay my daughter’s school fees. He was fed up because it was difficult to manage the household. He committed suicide because of the harassment by the authorities. It was difficult to manage the house and he was very upset”.

Now, family members of the KRIDL contractor are demanding a fair probe and justice for his family.