Bengaluru, DHNS: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a judicial enquiry into the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathi.

Accusing the Opposition BJP and JD(S) of politicising the issue, the chief minister rejected their demand for sacking Bengaluru Development Minister K J George.

Siddaramaiah also turned down the demand to book an abetment to suicide case against George and senior police officers ADGP A M Prasad and IGP Pronab Mohanty, named by Ganapathi in an interview to a news channel before ending his life.

The chief minister brushed aside the demand for a CBI probe, saying the central agency has failed to crack cases referred by the government in the past three years.

The BJP and JD(S) resorted to a day-night dharna in the Legislative Assembly and Council after the government failed to yield to their demands. They announced they would continue the agitation till their demands are met.

The judicial commission, to be headed by a retired high court judge, would be asked to submit its report in six months, Siddaramaiah said.

Though the chief minister said the enquiry ordered by the government would be free and fair, he argued that there was no evidence against George and the two officers. Ganapathi had never worked under these officers to be harassed by them, he said. The deceased made illogical allegations in his TV statement, Siddaramaiah said.

“I have decided to voluntarily order a judicial probe because of your allegations. It will be a free and fair investigation,” the chief minister said in the Assembly.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is currently probing the case based on Ganapathi’s father Kushalappa’s police statement. His death has been considered unnatural while registering the case. Ganapathi’s son Nehal moved the Madikeri court seeking direction to the police to file an FIR, and sought action against George and the two officers.

Siddaramaiah, a law graduate, quoted various sections of the Indian Penal Code to claim that neither is Ganapathi’s controversial statement a dying declaration nor has the government got anything to do with his death. He strongly defended the decision to file a case of unnatural death based on Kushalappa’s statement.

“All subsequent complaints given by Ganapathi’s wife and son have been forwarded to the CID. The government will take appropriate action after the CID submits the report,” he added.
The Supreme Court judgment that makes it mandatory to book case as per the dying declaration does not apply to this issue as a cognizable offence cannot be made out as per the statement given by Kushalappa.

Ganapathi’s father has not made charges against anybody, let alone George and the two officers, the chief minister said.