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 of Kalaburagi district on Tuesday evening. He was 51.

Two of his relatives, Shankar Bilagi and Eeranna Bilagi, also lost their lives in the crash.

According to police sources, Bilagi was travelling from Ramdurg in Belagavi district to Kalaburagi to attend a family wedding when the accident occurred around 5.30 pm.

Initial reports suggest that the vehicle hit a road median and overturned. Shankar and Eeranna died on the spot, while Bilagi, who sustained critical injuries, was rushed to a private hospital in Kalaburagi. Despite emergency medical intervention, he succumbed soon after.

A 2012-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, Bilagi, hailed from Ramdurg. Over his career, he held key administrative positions, including Deputy Commissioner of Davangere, Managing Director of BESCOM, an,d most recently, Managing Director of KSMCL.

Before joining the civil services, Bilagi worked as an English tutor in Dharwad. As DC of Davangere, he was known for his focus on urban development and strengthening grievance redressal systems.

At BESCOM, he led initiatives to improve power supply management and address consumer-related issues.

The news of his sudden demise has shocked the state bureaucracy. Senior officials, including Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu and District Health and Family Welfare Officer Sharanabasappa Kyatanal, visited the hospital shortly after the incident.