Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had to face the wrath of the family and friends of KAS officer S.P. Mahantesh (48), Deputy Director of Co-operative Societies’ Audit Department, Bengaluru Rural division, who died on Sunday after battling for life for five days. The chief minister said the investigation into the murder of Mr Mahantesh, who was attacked by unknown assailants on May 15, has been intensified and the accused would be nabbed soon. “The incident is unfortunate and has hurt the sentiments of the people and the government”, he said, adding the family would be sanctioned solatium.
The family and friends raised slogans against the government and expressed anger over its failure to protect honest officers in the state. They alleged that Mr Gowda and Mr Suresh Kumar were trying to hush up the case as influential people were involved in the murder. Employees of the Karnataka Cooperative Audit Service Department were angry that the investigation was going on at a snail’s pace. The family was frustrated that the CM left without giving them any assurance. Housing minister V. Somanna too visited Mr Mahantesh’s house.
Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the residence of Mahantesh (48) after news broke that the KAS officer died in the morning. Mr Mahantesh’s aged father Mr Puttannaiah (70), a retired senior government official, was consoling his wife Vijayamma (65) and receiving several relatives and friends at home. A shattered Vijayamma was worried about the fate of her daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.
Mr Mahantesh’s wife Purnima fell unconscious and had to be administered medications and intravenous fluids when the body arrived at the house. Several relatives, bureaucrats, colleagues and friends paid homage to the KAS officer. “His honesty took his life. Without Mahantesh, life will be extremely difficult for his parents, wife and daughters,” Nagendrappa, Mr Mahantesh’s brother-in-law, said. “We were thinking of shifting him to a specialty hospital, but his condition deteriorated on Saturday night forcing us to abandon the plan. The doctors told us that chances of his survival were very slim because of deep wounds and internal bleeding in the brain,” a relative said.
“Every night, Mahantesh received threat calls from unidentified people. These people have to be identified and the reason behind the calls should be investigated,” said some relatives. “It is a big blow to officers who are honest. It is the most tragic day for all KAS officers. Such a gory end was least expected for an honest officer like Mr Mahantesh. The assailants have hatched the plan to the last detail and covered their tracks. We are turning into another Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, where honest officers are killed mercilessly,” his colleagues said. The last rites were conducted at the cemetery next to T.R. Mill in Chamarajpet on Sunday evening with several people in attendance.