Severed body found on Railway track

Chikkamagalur: In a shocking late night development, Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman S.L. Dharme Gowda (65) allegedly died by suicide after leaving a death note. The JD(S) Legislator was found dead on a Railway track near Gunasagara in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagalur, his home district.

Confirming the news, top sources said that they are probing the case for more details. According to them, his body was found around 2 am in the wee hours of today. Police said, “The matter is under investigation. There was a death note recovered from the site but we cannot give out details of what’s in it.”

According to Police, Dharme Gowda had asked his official gunman and escort to leave him alone on Monday evening. He had left his home in Sakharayapattana in an old personal Santro car with his driver and came to Gunasagara at around 6 pm. He then asked his driver to leave him as he had to meet someone close to him.

His last call is said to have made enquiries about train timings from a friend in Kadur. When Dharme Gowda did not return home even late at night, his family is said to have alerted authorities who launched a search. Based on cellphone signals, they located his body on Mankenahalli Railway track. His head was separated from the body.

His body has been sent for autopsy at McGann Hospital in Shivamogga and according to his brother S.L. Bhoje Gowda, who is also an MLC, the last rites would be held at the Madagadakere farmhouse that the family owns in Sakharayapattana.

Dharme Gowda, who is survived by his wife, son and a daughter, is said to have been distressed over the way he was treated by some members during recent chaos in the Council. During the one-day proceeding of the Council, Gowda was pushed and shoved by angry Congress members who said that only the Chairman can preside over the House. He was dragged from the Chair by Congress members who alleged that he had joined hands with the ruling BJP to unconstitutionally unseat the Upper House Chairman Pratap Chandra Shetty of the Congress.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Siddharamaiah, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar, JD(S) Supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy apart from various other political leaders have expressed shock and grief at the death of Dharme Gowda.