Karnataka Engineer Missing After Note Cites Fund Shortage, Contractor Pressure
A Karnataka rural infrastructure engineer has gone missing after leaving a note citing unpaid contractor dues, unreleased funds and alleged harassment.
A Karnataka government engineer has gone missing after leaving behind a letter that described distress over a shortage of funds and pressure from contractors awaiting payment for development works in his division.
Parviz Dharwad, an Assistant Executive Engineer with Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), was posted in the Gadag subdivision. He wrote to the agency's Managing Director in Bengaluru on September 12, setting out the financial strain on his division.
In the letter, he said about Rs 6 crore sought from the department had not been released, while roughly Rs 2 crore meant for certain works was lying with the KRIDL headquarters. Completed works could not be paid for because of the cash crunch, and contractors and group leaders were pressing him over the dues, he stated.
He is also said to have alleged that he faced harassment almost daily, with some people turning up at his home and shouting at him at the office over payment-related matters. The note expressed worry about the effect on his personal life and mental well-being, and contained remarks suggesting he intended to end his life. He asked that his family be forgiven and said no one should be held responsible, while urging that the funding shortfall in the Gadag subdivision be settled, another AEE be posted there, and his relatives not be troubled.
Dharwad left for Bengaluru on September 13, telling others he had a meeting there, and has not been seen since. A missing-person case was registered at the Betageri police station in Gadag on September 16.
Police said his last known location was traced to Andhra Pradesh and that five teams have been formed to trace him. They also said this is not the first such instance: in 2024, he went missing for a similar reason and was found in Goa after five days.
With the recovery of the note, his family is anxious about his whereabouts, and investigators are looking into the circumstances of his disappearance. Search efforts are continuing.