Bengaluru: Mandya District Police on Sunday arrested KAS officer Bheema Naik in connection with the suicide of his driver Ramesh Gowda.
On December 07, after the opulent wedding of his daughter post demonetisation, G Janardhan Reddy was at the centre of a fresh row, with the car driver of the state official allegedly committing suicide.
He is said t have left a note claiming he got Rs 100 crore converted into white money for the mining baron for the marriage.
Ramesh allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at a lodge at Maddur in Mandya district on December 06.
In the note, recovered by police, Ramesh is said to have listed alleged illegal activities committed by Naik, special land acquisition officer (Bengaluru).
Holding the official and his personal driver responsible for his death, Ramesh alleged that there was a threat to his life as he came to know the illegalities allegedly committed by Nayak and how he recently got the money converted for the wedding of Reddy's daughter, as per PTI.
The handwritten death note said Nayak had met Reddy and BJP MP Sriramulu at a guest house on October 28 with another person to discuss contesting the 2018 Assembly elections from Hagaribommanahalli constituency and had agreed to give Rs 25 crore for it.
He (Nayak) had visited a hotel on November 15 and had claimed in front of Ramesh about giving Rs 25 crore white money for Reddy daughter's wedding and had visited Sriramulu's residence at another hotel frequently, the note alleged.
It also mentioned registration numbers of vehicles used.
Since he was aware of all these things, they had threatened him with dire consequences and told him they would get him killed by rowdies, he alleged in the note.
Days after the blockbuster wedding of his daughter that raised national eyebrows, Reddy had come under the scanner of the IT department, which on November 21 had cracked the whip, asking him to explain the expenditure for it and?inspected offices of his firms.
The lavishness of the wedding was reflected in the huge sets replicating Vijaya Vitthala temple of Hampi, the seat of the glorious erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire and Tirumala Tirupati temple erected at the venue, along with replicas of the homes of both the bride and groom.
Pre-wedding events too were on par in extravagance with artistes and dancers from different parts, including Samba dancers from Brazil, being part of the grandiose event.
(With PTI inputs)
