Employee of Belagavi Tahsildar office found dead

Tahsildar office employee found dead in Belagavi after leaving a note blaming colleagues, sparking investigation.

An employee of the Tahsildar office was found dead in Belagavi on Tuesday. Officers of the Tahsildar office in Risaldar Galli in the city called the police after finding the body of second division assistant Rudranna Yadavannavar (35) inside the office.

He left a death note on his social media groups. He sent a message on the Whatsapp group of the Tahsildar office staff that he was going to end his life at around 7.30 pm on November 4, 2024. His body was found by the cleaning staff on Tuesday (November 5, 2024) morning, police said. He mentioned the names of three persons as being responsible for his death — Tahsildar Basavaraj Nagaral, Ashok Kabbaligar and Somu. There is speculation that one of the persons mentioned worked as a personal secretary to a minister. However, that needs to be verified, a police officer said.

In the note, Yadavannavar said there was “a lot of injustice” going on in his office and asked all staff members to “fight unitedly” against it. Yadavannavar was known to be an enthusiastic worker. He had been transferred to Saundatti on November 4, but had not joined yet. The victim’s wife, Girija, who is a village accountant, rushed to the spot and fainted when she saw the body.

Yadavannavar’s mother, Mallavva, broke into tears at the Tahsildar office. She said that her son had abruptly stopped his supper when he got a call on his mobile phone. “He went out, saying he was going for a walk. He left behind his watch, mobile phone and helmet in the house. I was worried when he did not come back. But I did not know I would have to see this,’‘ she said.

She claimed that he was trying to avoid a transfer and had paid a bribe of ₹2 lakh to someone for this. However, she said, she was not aware what kind of problems he was suffering from in his office and what made him take the extreme step.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohan Jagadeesh said investigations were on and that a clearer picture would emerge after the post-mortem. A case is being registered.

(Those suffering from anxiety or depression, or having suicidal thoughts, can dial the 24x7 helpline number, 104.)