Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla seeks high level probe into SL Dharme Gowda's death

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has called for a high-level probe through an independent agency into the death of Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman SL Dharme Gowda.

Dharme Gowda who was found dead on a railway track in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka in the early hours of Tuesday.

Recalling the December 15 incident in the Karnataka legislative council, the Speaker said that the unfortunate incident with him as a Presiding Officer is a "harsh blow to the dignity of democracy". 

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Dharme Gowda's body was recovered at about 1:30 am. 

"Around 6:30 PM, Dharme Gowda had left his driver and staff and had gone alone on the pretext of receiving someone. As he did not come back till 8:45 pm, his sons and brother Bhoje Gowda were informed, who then spoke to the Superintendent of police. His last call was tracked and found to be from near the railway track," the minister said.

Bommai also said that in a note, which was recovered from the spot, Dharme Gowda has "mentioned several sensitive matters which the police want to probe in detail. Only then the real scenario that led to such an extreme stem can be revealed."