Karnataka Legislative Council deputy chairman SL Dharme Gowda found dead on rail track, police claims suicide

Bengaluru: Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman S L Dharme Gowda was found dead on a rail track in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka in the early hours of Tuesday (December 29), with police sources claiming he died by suicide.

Dharme Gowda, 64, who was an MLC from JD(S), is survived by his wife, son and a daughter. His brother, S L Bhoje Gowda, is also an MLC.

According to sources, Gowda had left his farmhouse at Sakharayapattana in a private car on Tuesday (December 29) evening but did not return home, following which his family members and staff started searching for him.

He had reportedly asked his driver to stay at a distance and went alone on the pretext of talking to someone, the sources said, adding that a suicide note has been recovered. The body was found on a rail track near Gunasagara in Kadur taluk.

The body has been shifted to the McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, official sources said.

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

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed shock over the incident, terming it "unfortunate". He lauded the MLC for efficiently conducting the legislative council as its deputy chairman.

ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿ ಹಾಗೂ @JanataDal_S ಮುಖಂಡರಾದ ಎಸ್.ಎಲ್. ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಆಘಾತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಸಜ್ಜನ, ಸನ್ನಡತೆಯ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ನಷ್ಟ. ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಂಧುಮಿತ್ರರಿಗೆ ಈ ನೋವು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಭಗವಂತ ನೀಡಲಿ. — H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) December 29, 2020

JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, in a tweet, expressed shock over Dharme Gowda's death and remembered him as a gentleman politician.
His death is a loss to the state, Deve Gowda added.

ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಯು ಇವತ್ತಿನ ಕಲುಷಿತ, ತತ್ವ ರಹಿತ, ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ನಡೆದ ಬಲಿ. ಸಭಾಪತಿ ಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್‌ನ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತತೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಯಿತು. ಆದರೆ, ಈ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡ ಎಂಬ ಹೃದಯವಂತನ ಬಲಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಮಾಡಿದವರಿಗೆ ಈಗ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರಬಹುದು. ಫಲಿತಾಂಶದಿಂದಲಾದರೂ ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಾವಲೋಕನ ಆಗಲಿ. — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) December 29, 2020

JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said Dharme Gowda was like a brother to him. "His death has caused a shock to me. He was an upright politician," Kumaraswamy said in a tweet.

Condoling the demise of MLC, H D Kumaraswamy said that "It is a political murder that has taken place today. The truth should come out as soon as possible about who is responsible for his death,". "Dharmegowda's suicide is a sacrifice for today's polluted, unprincipled, and selfish politics. The secularism of JDS was tested for the position of Chairperson but in this test, Dharmegowda's heart became the victim. Those who tested it may now get the answer," he added.

ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡ ಅವರ ಸಾವಿನ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಆಘಾತವಾಗಿದೆ.

ಸಜ್ಜನ ಸ್ವಭಾವದ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿ ಎಂದೇ ಗುರುತಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ಅವರು ಈ ರೀತಿ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಕಂಡಿರುವುದು ನೋವಿನ ಸಂಗತಿ.

ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಂಧುಮಿತ್ರರಿಗೆ ಈ ನೋವು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಭಗವಂತ ನೀಡಲಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. pic.twitter.com/VZs4TRDq02 — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) December 29, 2020

Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said, "The news of his demise is shocking. He was a simple man. On behalf of the Congress party, I offer my sincere condolences."

Dharme Gowda was at the centre of the high drama in the legislative council on December 15, which saw BJP-JD(S) and Congress members hurling abuses and pushing each other over a row pertaining to a no-confidence motion against Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty.

During the ruckus, Dharme Gowda, who was on the Chairman's seat, was pulled down by some Congress legislators who accused him of occupying the chair against the rules.