Following CBI’s refusal to handle the case of the mysterious death of IAS officer DK Ravi, the Karnataka Government re-issued a notification on Monday doing away with three-month time frame for completion of CBI investigation. Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary (Home) SK Pattanayak confirmed the new development and said his department had now formally asked for an unconditional investigation by the central agency.
The CBI had on Sunday rejected Karnataka’s March 24 notification that stipulated the investigation should be completed within three months. In fact, the CBI had written to the State Government 12 days after the notification saying the State Government does not have the authority to set a time frame for the investigation. As the case is sensitive and complicated, the CBI said, its team would need time to collect evidence and that this may take more than three months.
The handling the Ravi’s case had dented the image of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government and the Chief Minister had been under pressure from Congress High Command to hand over the case to the CBI. The State Government in the beginning was adamant and the Chief Minister was of the view that the State police were competent enough to handle the case. The Opposition BJP and JD(S) fought tooth and nail forcing Siddaramaiah to handover the case to the CBI. Ravi also became the victim of media trial with selective reports on his relationship with another IAS officer.
The Karnataka High Court had even stayed the decision of the State Government to make the CID preliminary report public. Ravi, 36, who took on the land mafia and realtors, was found hanging in his apartment in Bangalore on March 16. While the Bangalore Police believed he had committed suicide, his wife and parents rejected the police theory. The State Government had maintained that Ravi’s death prima facie seemed to be a case of suicide. Ravi’s family had raised doubts over the police claim that he committed suicide, saying that he was under “political pressure”.