A contractor and BJP leader, who had accused Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K.S. Eshwarappa of corruption, was found dead in a lodge in Udupi on April 12.

Earlier, Belagavi police had launched a search for the contractor Santosh Patil after learning that he had sent a message to his friends that he had decided to end his life. In the message sent to his friends on April 11, Patil said Mr. Eshwarappa is ‘directly responsible’ for his death, and that the Minister should be punished.

“I am going on a journey of no return. I have taken this decision after suppressing all my wants and desires. I have brought some friends with me, after lying to them that we are going on a picnic. But they are not responsible for my death,’’ he said in the message. “I thank all my friends I also thank the journalists for highlighting my problems,’’ he wrote, according to the police.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to protect his wife and child. “I request Mr. Yediyurappa, a senior leader of the Lingayat community, and anyone who can help my family, to help them out,’’ he wrote.

A team of officers had visited his home in Hindalaga village and spoken to his family. His wife said that he had left home saying he was going for a picnic with his friends Santosh and Prashant on April 11 evening. “He often does that, and I did not think this time was any different,” she told the police.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Patil had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming to have invested ₹4 crore on building roads in his village based on oral instructions of Mr. Eshwarappa. He accused the Minister of lies, corruption and irregularities, and urged Mr. Modi to direct Mr. Eshwarappa to settle his bills.

Mr. Patil, national secretary of Hindu Yuva Vahini, had told The Hindu that he had spent up to ₹15 lakh in bribes in the Rural Development Department to get payment for his bills.

Mr. Eshwarappa has filed a case accusing Mr. Patil of defaming him with baseless charges.