Bengaluru: Karnataka RDPR Minister K. Eshwarappa has said that he has filed a defamation case against the civil contractor and Hindu Yuva Vahini National Secretary Santhosh Patil who alleged that the minister was demanding commission for the payment of completed road works.

Reacting to the allegation labeled against him by Patil, the Minister said he did not demand a commission for releasing the payment of completed work and that the allegations made against him are fabricated.

“The allegation against me about having asked the commission to release the payment for the remainder of the completed work is fabricated. I have filed a defamation case against the Belagavi-based contractor and ‘Hindu Vahini’ National Secretary Santhosh. K. Patil who has made this accusation against me”, he informed.

Earlier on Monday, Patil wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the matter adding that he was under pressure from his creditors and if the issue is not resolved soon, he will have no options left but to commit suicide.

In his letter, Patil had alleged that Eshwarappa and his associates were demanding commission for releasing his payment of Rs. 4 crores for completed road work even after a year of completion of the work. He also alleged that the Minister was not releasing the work order for the same.

Eshwarappa however, has claimed that Patil had not sought any grant from his department and that the government had not approved any work that Patil claims to have completed.

“Santhosh K. Patil did not seek any grant from the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and the government did not provide approval to undertake the said work. The department had not issued any direction regarding this construction work and neither were the administrative grants given. Construction work as said by Santhosh K. Patil has not been implemented at the Hindalaga village. No government agency has provided technical grants or taken charge of this construction work. The department head has provided clarification that therefore, the matter of releasing funds does not arise”, Eeshwarappa said.

“It has come to my attention that on March 9, Santhosh K. Patil had fabricated allegations against me on TV. In the background of this, on March 10, I have registered a defamation lawsuit against Santhosh K. Patil at the 6th Main Metropolitan Court. He will be issued a notice tomorrow”, Eeshwarappa said.

He further added that Patil is not a BJP activist and that there is no connection between him and the party.

Responding to the question of the media, the Minister said, “I don’t know who is behind the conspiracy of accusing me of demanding commission. After contacting the party’s Belagavi District President today morning and inquiring, I learned that Santhosh K. Patil and BJP have no connection. He is not our activist or worker”, he said.

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New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.

The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.

Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.

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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.

Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.

It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.

Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.

The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.

Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.