Bengaluru, Mar 17: Refusing to concede the Opposition demand for a CBI probe, Karnataka Government today announced a CID inquiry into the death of an upright IAS officer who allegedly committed suicide under mysterious circumstances, as the issue rocked the state Assembly.
Not satisfied with Chief Minister Siddaramiah's reply, opposition BJP and JDS members stormed into the well of the House and staged a dharna, raising slogans against the government for "failing" to protect honest officials.
As the Opposition raised the issue, Siddaramiah said as per police account it is prima facie a case of suicide, but the government will investigate it impartially to unravel the mystery behind the officer's death.
"Is it a suicide or a murder or has he died of some other reasons, we also want to know the truth. People should also know it," Siddaramaiah said, asserting that the city police were also efficient.
He said the case would be probed by Crime Investigation Department and "it will bring out the truth. We will have an impartial probe," he said triggering protests from opposition benches as their demand for a CBI probe was not accepted.
Home Minister K J George also said the preliminary report will be placed before the House in the next 15 days.
George's statement that some clues had been obtained by police in their preliminary probe that there could be some personal reasons for the suicide evoked protests from the opposition.
Opposition demands CBI probe
Opposition parties in the Karnataka Assembly today made a strong demand for a CBI inquiry into the death of an IAS officer as they suspected it to be a case of murder and not suicide as stated by police.
Raising the issue, Opposition BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar demanded a CBI probe into the death of D K Ravi, Additional Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Enforcement), saying he suspected it to be a case of murder.
"Looking at the death of the IAS officer, the Chief Minister should hand over the case to CBI as it appears to be murder instead of suicide as claimed by the police," he said.
Shettar said the IAS officer had been receiving threat calls from influential and powerful builders and underworld dons because he had taken some hard decisions against them.
Ravi, who had taken on the sand and land mafia, had allegedly committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at his official flat here yesterday after returning home from office in the morning. Police have said that prima facie, it was a case of suicide.
Shettar also said the incident raises suspicion about the nexus between developers and politicians.
"The government should treat this case as an organised crime," he said.
The government should collect call details of the deceased IAS officer to know the truth behind his death and also take steps to prevent destruction of evidence and clues pertaining to the incident, the former Chief Minister said.
"The state government has failed in protecting honest officials," he said.
Former Chief Minister and state JD(S) President H D Kumaraswamy also pressed for a CBI enquiry as he suspected it to be a case of murder.
Senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar said, "People are already suspecting that the politicians and builders are related to this incident."
|"This incident has shocked the people of the state and the government should take appropriate action to send right message to people and honest officers," he said.
Former Home Minister R Ashoka (BJP) said since the people themselves are demanding that the case be handed over to CBI, the Chief Minister should honour their demand.
Ashoka flayed city police commissioner M N Reddi for terming the incident as a prima facie case of suicide without carrying out any investigation.
"This only raises suspicion that the government is trying to bury the case and cover the crime of some influential and powerful people," he said.
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