In a major embarrassment to the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of DySP M.K. Ganapathy.
With the apex court order, Bengaluru development minister K.J. George and two IPS officers—AM Prasad and Pranab Mohanty—who had been given a clean chit in the case by the CID, will once again face inquiry. The CBI is to submit the report within three months.
The case will be reopened after almost 13 months after the death of Ganapathy, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, 2016. In his last interview to local television channels, a few hours before his body was recovered by the police, Ganapathy had alleged that he was being harassed by George, IGP (Lokayukta) Pranab Mohanty and ADGP (intelligence) A.M. Prasad. He had also held them responsible for anything untoward that would happen to him.
The Siddaramaiah government ordered a CID probe despite objections from the opposition parties and Ganapathy's family. The CID filed a B (closure) report in September 2016. The government blamed depression and marital discord for the “suicide”.
A distraught family, which had suspected foul play from day one and was unhappy with a “botched up” investigation by CID, decided to move the high court seeking a CBI probe. But the high court dismissed the plea filed by Ganapathy's father M.K. Kushalappa and brother M.K. Machaiah, stating the “material produced does not make out a case for a CBI probe”. Meanwhile, George, who had stepped down as the minister was re-inducted into the cabinet.
The family filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court. Strangely, the CID had filed a B report on September 17, 2016 even before the forensic report, submitted to the SC, was out in May 2017.
The forensic report states that data from his computer and mobile have been deleted, including the call records, text files, SMS, and excel files, e-mails, pictures and PPT files from his computer. Data from his two pendrives have also been deleted. The fingerprints at the crime scene were not collected, it stated.
The apex court had issued notice to the state government in last January asking as to why it could not order a CBI probe and had also sought George's response on the plea.
Welcoming the SC order, the opposition parties—BJP and JD(S)—expressed hope that the aggrieved family would get justice. “The CID probe was shabby and now the CBI inquiry will deliver justice. The SC order has reinforced people's faith in the judiciary,” said JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy.
BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa said, “George must resign to pave way for a fair probe.”
George, however, ruled out his resignation. "Last time, I stepped down as it was a state agency (CID) probing the case. But now, there is no need to resign as it is an independent agency which will be probing. I welcome the probe as I want the truth to come out," he said.
