A BJP candidate contesting Taluk panchayat polls, who went missing last week, appeared before the police on Monday and admitted that he had gone into hiding fearing defeat in the polls.
Govindaraju, the “first choice” of the BJP for the Talaguppa seat in Sagar taluk, is said to have cooked up the abduction story as he feared that his ex-wife and her family would expose his “misdeeds” to ensure his defeat. A few days before filing of nominations, he went missing. His car and mobile were found near the old plywood factory at Talaguppa on January 30.
This aroused suspicion that he was abducted. His mother Jayalakshmamma lodged a missing complaint on January 31. Govindaraju turned up at the Ripponpet police on Monday night. He told the police that he was abducted and had been freed now. Not believing his story, a team headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Vishnuvardhan interrogated him. Govindaraju then admitted that he had stayed in a friend’s house in Shivamogga fearing defeat.
He said his ex-wife and her family had vowed to campaign against him and expose his “misdeeds” if he filed the nomination papers. He said he was so scared that he chose to hide in a friend’s house. Now, the BJP has fielded Uday Kumar from Talaguppa. Govindaraju’s mother, too, has filed nomination papers as an independent.
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