Under intense pressure on Wednesday to order a CBI probe into the death of 2009 batch IAS officer DK Ravi, the Karnataka Government triggered a fresh controversy by abruptly shifting the CID officer in-charge of the probe. This came even as Ravi’s family members threatened to commit suicide if the State Government did not order a CBI probe into the incident and the Opposition mounted pressure on the Siddaramaiah Government for the same.
The transfer of CID Inspector-General of Police Pronab Mohanty has raised many eyebrows. The timing of his transfer has evoked strong protests in the bureaucracy too. A State Government communiqué on Wednesday evening said Mohanty has been replaced by Pratap Reddy as in charge of the CID. JD(S) floor leader HD Kumaraswamy attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said the State Government transferred Mohanty to shield the culprits.
“What kind of Government is thisIJ What is he (Siddaramaiah) doingIJ Just yesterday he handed over the probe to the CID and today they transferred Mohanty. This Government is shameless and trying to shield many big people who are responsible for Ravi’s death. We demand a CBI enquiry.”
BJP floor leader Jagdish Shettar too blamed the Chief Minister and said the transfer was a conspiracy to shield and protect the culprits. “The Chief Minister is out to shield someone in the entire episode. We will continue our dharna till the probe is handed over to the CBI.”
Ravi’s death has created a major turmoil in the State with the Opposition pointing fingers at a ruling party MlA for putting pressure on the IAS officer and accusing the State Government of trying to shield the culprits, who might have forced Ravi to end his life or plotted his death.
Both the BJP and Janata Dal(S) continued their dharna inside the Assembly, forcing Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to adjourn the House for the day. The dharna which started on Tuesday continued through the night. As the House met, members of the BJP and JDS assembled in the Well of the House shouting slogans against the Government and demanding a CBI enquiry. They alleged that attempts were being made to “hush up” the case.
Thirty-five-year-old Ravi, Additional Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Enforcement), was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at his flat in Bengaluru on Monday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide. An upright and honest officer, he had launched a major drive against the sand mafia as the Deputy Commissioner of Kolar district.
In a major embarrassment to the State Government, the parents and family members of Ravi sat on a dharna in front of Vidhana Soudha, demanding a CBI probe. Ravi’s father Kariyanna, mother Gowramma, brother Ramesh, sister Bharathi along with other close family members threatened to commit suicide if the case was not handed over to the CBI. The efforts to persuade them to withdraw their dharna by some of the ruling Congress MlAs and Chief Minister’s personal staff did not yield any results.
Meanwhile, Ravi’s father-in-law Hanumantharayappa linked Kolar Congress MlA Narayanaswamy to the incident and said Ravi received calls from the Kolar MlA. Addressing a Press conference in Bengaluru at his house Hanumantharayappa asked the media to amplify their demand for a CBI probe.
Rejecting the State Government’s claim that Ravi committed suicide because of a family dispute, Hanumantharayappa said: “He was not the kind of person who would commit suicide. And if he did indeed kill himself, there must be a very strong reason. Only a thorough investigation can reveal what pushed him to take the extreme step.”
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: “This is not a case to be handed over to the CBI.” Meanwhile, many senior bureaucrats in the State like Madan Gopal and others have signed a petition through change.org demanding a CBI probe into Ravi’s death. Earlier in the day, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of trying to influence the autopsy report of the young IAS officer.
Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP MPs from Karnataka met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded a CBI probe into Ravi’s death. “All Karnataka BJP MPs met the Home Minister and urged him that action should be taken for a CBI probe into the death of DK Ravi. The Home Minister assured us that he will speak to the Chief Minister and ask for a report on the incident,” Union Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters here after meeting Singh.
Ananth Kumar alleged that Bangalore Commissioner of Police was pre-judging Ravi’s death by calling it suicide. “There is a rage in Karnataka as well as in the country. People are questioning whether Ravi was a victim of the mafia. We have requested the Home Minister to ask the Chief Minister to recommend a CBI enquiry into the case,” he said. The Union Minister was accompanied by fellow MPs from Karnataka including law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, B S Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, Prahlad Joshi, Prathap Simha besides others.
The BJP leaders in their memorandum said the theory of suicide “attempted to be floated” by Bangalore Police Commissioner MN Reddy and Karnataka Home Minister KJ George leaves no doubt that the State Government is in a haste to wash its hands off the case by concluding the death prima-facie a case of suicide for personal reasons. officer, his family has threatened to commit suicide if their demands are not met. They also doubted police’s claim that he committed suicide and hinted that he was under “political pressure”, insisting on a CBI probe. (Vasuki)