Mandya: In a shocking incident, the driver of a Karnataka Administrative Service [KAS] officer committed suicide, alleging that he was being hounded for having knowledge of illegal conversion of old currency notes.

In his suicide note, the driver Ramesh Gowda alleged that he knew how BJP leader and Bellary mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy and Bheema Nayak, a KAS officer serving in Bengaluru, had converted up to Rs 100 crore after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on Nov. 8.

Ramesh Gowda consumed poison on Tuesday, after being threatened by Nayak over the issue.

In the note, Ramesh Gowda detailed 17 high-value transactions conducted by Bheema Nayak. He also alleged that other officials were bribed to keep the transactions secret.

He alleged that the Rs 100 crore converted by Gali Janardhan Reddy and Bheema Nayak, special land acquisition officer, was used for Reddy’s daughters’ exorbitant wedding last month.

Ramesh, a resident of Maddur in Mandya district has also detailed the other transactions of Nayak, a KAS officer, which ran into several crores. Nayak, along with house driver Mohammed hounded Ramesh. “These two are directly responsible. And they have also withheld my salary for the past three months,” the suicide note read.

“He has converted Rs 100 crore of their money in Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denominations to Rs 50, 100 and 2000 denominations for a 20 per cent commission. Since, I had knowledge about these transactions he had issued a life threat,” he wrote.