Bengaluru: In yet another shocking case highlighting the growing distress among government employees in Karnataka, a waterman in Chamarajanagar ended his life after allegedly being denied his salary for over two years. This marks the third such death in a single week, exposing what the Opposition has described as the “bankruptcy and callousness” of the Congress-led state government.
The deceased, Chikkasu Nayaka (65) of Honganur village in Chamarajanagar taluk, hanged himself near the Gram Panchayat office door after reportedly being humiliated by local officials when he demanded his long-pending salary. Villagers discovered his body early Thursday morning. Police recovered a death note in which Chikkasu reportedly mentioned his frustration over not being paid despite working continuously for 27 months.
According to villagers, Chikkasu, who earned a meager Rs 5,000 per month, had been struggling to survive and support his family. Despite repeated pleas to Gram Panchayat President Roopa and PDO Ramegowda, his salary had not been cleared. “He was repeatedly sent away without payment, even when he fell ill,” said a villager. Unable to bear the humiliation, he took the extreme step in front of the office itself. A case has been registered at the Chamarajanagar East Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
Teacher found dead in Kolar under suspicious circumstances
In another tragic incident, Akhtar Begum (50), a government schoolteacher from Kolar district, was found dead in the Ayyappally lake near Betamangala, days after she went missing while conducting a caste-wise socio-educational survey. Her bag and bus ticket were recovered near the lake.
Preliminary reports suggest she may have been under immense stress due to work pressure and depression. Colleagues alleged that Begum had complained about being overburdened and mentally exhausted due to constant travel for the survey. “She had spoken of the unbearable pressure and long hours,” said a fellow teacher. Her death has raised questions about the government’s handling of field-level employees and the pressure of administrative work.
Earlier this week, Bhagyavati Vishweshwarayya Aggimath (40), a librarian at a state-run library in Kalaburagi district, also died by suicide, citing non-payment of salary for three months. Her death note detailed her struggle to manage household expenses and educate her two children without income.
Family members said that repeated appeals to higher authorities had gone unanswered. They have demanded compensation and a government job for a family member. Police are investigating the case, which has sparked outrage among government employees and unions across the state.
Condemning the spate of suicides, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra launched a scathing attack on the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, accusing it of financial mismanagement and administrative collapse. “The tragic death of librarian Bhagyavati Aggimath exposes the bankruptcy and heartlessness of the Congress government. Employees who depend on their salaries for survival are being pushed to death,” he said in a statement on X
ವೇತನವಿಲ್ಲದೇ ತೀವ್ರ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಗೆ ಶರಣಾಗಿರುವ ಕಲಬುರಗಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಸೇಡಂ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕಿನ ಗ್ರಂಥಪಾಲಕಿ ಭಾಗ್ಯವತಿ ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯ ಅಗ್ಗಿಮಠ ಅವರ ಸಾವು @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ದಿವಾಳಿತನ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೃದಯ ಹೀನ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಳಿಸಿದೆ. ಭಾಗ್ಯವತಿ ಅಗ್ಗಿಮಠ ಅವರ ದುರಂತ ಅಂತ್ಯ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಸಮಾಜ ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸುವಂತಾಗಿದೆ.… pic.twitter.com/Qcwnlnv9b4
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) October 14, 2025
“The state government has failed even in its basic responsibility of ensuring salaries to its employees. From the Chief Minister to ministers, no one is responding to the growing crisis. The administration has become indifferent and self-absorbed in politics of power,” Vijayendra added.
He further criticized ITBT Minister Priyank Kharge, alleging that he had ignored the plight of government staff even in his home district, Kalaburagi.
❌ವೇತನ ಸಿಗದೆ ಕಲಬುರಗಿಯ ಗ್ರಂಥಪಾಲಕಿ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ
❌ಬಿಲ್ ಪಾವತಿ ಆಗದಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಂಟ್ರಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಗಳ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ
❌ವರ್ಗಾವಣೆ, ಕಮಿಷನ್ ದಂಧೆಗೆ ಪೊಲೀಸರು, ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ
❌ ಸಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ನೆರೆ, ಬರ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಸಿಗದೆ ರೈತರ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ
❌ ನಿಗಮ ಮಂಡಳಿಗಳಿಂದ ಸಾಲ ಸಿಗದೆ ಮೈಕ್ರೋ ಫೈನಾನ್ಸ್ ಕಿರುಕುಳಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ಬಡವರ… pic.twitter.com/Gokm0S60sL
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) October 14, 2025
With three suicides in just one week a librarian in Kalaburagi, a teacher in Kolar, and a waterman in Chamarajanagar anger and fear are spreading among thousands of contractual and Gram Panchayat workers who claim they have not received salaries for months.
Employee unions are planning protests demanding immediate disbursement of pending payments and compensation to families of the deceased. The Opposition, meanwhile, has intensified its demand for a judicial probe into the financial state of the government, alleging that Karnataka is “sliding into bankruptcy under Congress rule.”
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