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After the opulent wedding of his daughter post demonetisation, G Janardhan Reddy is at the centre of a fresh row, with the car driver of a state official allegedly committing suicide, leaving a note claiming he got Rs 100 crore converted into white money for the mining baron for the marriage.
K C Ramesh allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at a lodge at Maddur in Mandya district on Tuesday, leaving a death note, police said on Wednesday.
In the note, recovered by police, Ramesh listed alleged illegal activities committed by Bheema Nayak, 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.
Police said they have registered a case and an investigation is on.
The handwritten death note said Nayak had met Reddy and Bharatiya Janata Party 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.
"He (Nayak) had got converted Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes belonging to them (Reddy) worth Rs 100 crore for 20 per cent (commission) to Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 2,000 notes," Ramesh alleged in the death note.
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.
In his death note, Ramesh also listed alleged "illegal properties" and "illegal transactions" of Bheema Nayak.
"The reason for my death is L Bheema Nayak (KAS) and his personal driver Mohammad. They are directly responsible. They had even stopped my three months pay," it alleged.
Reddy, once considered mighty along with his brothers in the mineral-rich Ballari district before his fall, is presently on bail, which the Supreme Court granted in January last year after he spent about 40 months in prison in connection with alleged illegal mining.
Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi, Sriramulu said the charges are false and suspected political motives behind dragging his and Janardhan Reddy's name into this.
"Our name is being unnecessarily dragged into a fight between Bheema Nayak and his driver. How can we, who have a name in politics, speak about an amount of Rs 25 crore with a government official?" he asked.