SRINAGAR: Senior IAS officer Mahantesh Bilagi, Managing Director of the Karnataka State Minerals Corporation Limited (KSMCL), died in a road accident near Gonahalli Cross in Jewargi taluk, Kalaburagi district, on Tuesday evening. Two of his relatives, Shankar Bilagi and Eeranna Bilagi, also lost their lives, according to The Hindu.
Bilagi, 51, was travelling from Ramdurg in Belagavi district to Kalaburagi to attend a family wedding when the Toyota Innova he was in reportedly hit a road median at around 5.30 p.m. and overturned. Shankar and Eeranna died on the spot, while Bilagi, who suffered critical injuries, was taken to a private hospital in Kalaburagi, where he succumbed during treatment.
A 2012-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, Bilagi hailed from Ramdurg and had served in several key administrative roles, including Deputy Commissioner of Davangere and Managing Director of BESCOM, before taking charge at KSMCL. He was widely known for his work in urban development, grievance redressal, and power supply management, and had previously worked as an English tutor in Dharwad.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed deep grief over the officer’s death, describing it as “an irreparable loss to society” and praising Bilagi’s efficient and people-centric approach to governance.
Senior officials, including Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu and District Health and Family Welfare Officer Sharanabasappa Kyatanal, visited the hospital following the incident. Police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway.
