The death of Kallappa Handibag (35), Deputy Superintendent of Police from Chikkamagaluru sub-division accused of being an accomplice in the kidnap of a businessman, has been termed by the police as “a clear case of suicide”. The family of the deceased, meanwhile, has accused senior officers in the department of “harassing” him.
The officer, who was accused among five others of kidnapping Chikkamagaluru-based financier Tejas Gowda for a ransom of Rs. 10 lakh, had been missing since Monday morning.
Quoting Siddarayappa Gangappa Tonni, father-in-law of the deceased, Inspector General of Police of Northern Range Umesh Kumar said Handibag and his wife Vidya, along with their two-year-old son, had arrived at his house in Muragod around 9 p.m. on Monday. The same night, they found him hanging from the ceiling fan. He was first rushed to a PHC and later, to KLE hospital at Belagavi.
Superintendent of Police Ravikanthe Gowda said the reason behind the death was being investigated. The police have not found any suicide note so far.
The Muragod police registered a case after Ms. Vidya, in her complaint, stated that her husband ended his life owing to mental stress.
Mr. Tonni told media persons that the Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police had been “harassing, abusing and humiliating” Handibag for the last few months. Recently, the SP had ill-treated Handibag taking objection to his poor background. The deceased officer was a primary school teacher and had risen to the rank of Dy.SP. Mr. Tonni alleged that the SP had “fixed” Handibag in a “false case” and threatened him.
Handibag was the eldest of three sons and two daughters of Basapppa Handibag of Hulgund village of Raibag taluk in Belagavi district. He belonged to the 2012 batch of Karnataka State Police Service and was posted at Chikkamagaluru as Dy.SP.
Responding to a query by The Hindu , Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police SP Santosh Babu said that he did not wish to react to the allegations.
Published - July 06, 2016 12:00 am IST
