The BJP’s Belur taluk unit has sought a probe led personally by Hassan Superintendent of Police Shubhanwita into the FIR registered against Belur MLA HK Suresh in connection with trader Nagesh’s death, alleging that the case against the legislator was politically motivated.
BJP leaders made the demand while speaking to reporters on Thursday. Belur taluk unit president Sanjay Gowri, town unit president Vinay and other party members questioned the circumstances surrounding the allegations and called for an impartial investigation into the trader’s death and the events preceding it.
According to the BJP leaders, Nagesh’s wife, Nalinakshi, had initially referred in her complaint to a dispute over the key to Shop No. 3 of the municipal council as one of the factors that had caused him distress. They said her complaint also mentioned that Nagesh had accumulated debts of about Rs 40 lakh through loans from banks and private lenders while supporting his family and maintaining his coffee plantation.
The BJP leaders said Nagesh allegedly died by suicide at his residence on October 12 after being unable to repay the loans. They claimed that a subsequent complaint accused certain municipal officials and the MLA of harassing him. The leaders questioned the circumstances in which the later allegations were made and said a detailed investigation was necessary to establish the sequence of events.
The dispute centres on a municipal shop that Nagesh had bid for, according to the BJP. The party leaders said his bid was Rs 4.5 lakh and that the amount rose to Rs 5.3 lakh after the inclusion of GST. They said Nagesh did not sign the required agreement despite notices issued by municipal officials, after which the shop was locked.
The BJP maintained that Suresh had no role in the municipal shop matter and demanded that the investigation be conducted under the direct supervision of the Hassan SP. The party leaders also expressed suspicion that other people could be behind the allegations against the MLA, but the supplied report does not establish who they referred to or provide an independent account of the claims.
The case places a municipal property dispute alongside questions about police procedure, the handling of complaints and the accountability of elected representatives and civic officials. The immediate issue raised by the BJP is whether the investigation should be supervised at the district police level rather than handled only by officers at the local level.
The supplied report does not provide details of the FIR sections, the investigating officer, a response from the police, the municipal council, MLA HK Suresh or Nagesh’s family to the BJP’s allegations. The next stated step is the BJP’s request for the Hassan SP to personally lead or supervise a detailed investigation.
