Neither harassed nor pressured DySP; Why should I resign: K J George

Bengaluru, Jul 9: Rubbishing reports that he had harassed or pressured Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) from Mangaluru, M K Ganapathi, who committed suicide in Madikeri on Thursday, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George made it clear that he would not resign.

“It is not true that I had harassed him. I never spoke to any senior officer about him during my tenure as home minister,” George said when reporters sought his reaction to accusations made by Ganapathi before he ended his life.

In an interview to a local news channel in Madikeri, the DySP had said George and two IPS?officers were harassing him.

On BJP's demand for his resignation, George said the question does not arise. “Why should I resign? They have been demanding my resignation from the day one (of this government assuming office). Let them provide evidence if they have any.”

George said Ganapathi had met him once at his official residence in 2014 and requested him to revoke his suspension order.

But he had told him that he does not interfere with the day-to-day administration and the department will take an appropriate decision after conducting an inquiry.

He said he was not in touch with Ganapathi when he was the home minister.

“There are hundreds of officers in the department. I was not aware of him till he met me in 2014. After that I never met him. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara will order a probe into the issue and the truth will be known soon,” he added.

Siddaramaiah is learnt to have asked his Cabinet colleagues to put up an united front when the legislature session resumes on Monday as the opposition was sure to raise the issue of Ganapathi's suicide.

Siddaramaiah's directions came at the Cabinet meeting on Friday, where he informed his colleagues that he had ordered a CID?probe into the suicide.

He raised the issue just before the conclusion of the meeting, after all agenda items had been taken up, sources said. In his response, George is learnt to have said that he has nothing to do with the officer's suicide.

Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah rejected the BJP's demand for George's resignation, saying that the saffron party lacks moral right to seek anybody's resignation.

Parameshwara said Ganapathi's interview alone will not be the evidence in the case. The CID will probe all aspects and ascertain the exact reason for Ganapathi's suicide.

“Policemen should not resort to suicide. I am always with them and they are free to share their feelings with me,” he stated.