NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned more than 50 people, including Congress leader K H Muniyappa and an independent legislator R Varthur Prakash from Kolar, so far in the case of the death of IAS officer D K Ravi. The investigators have grilled many other IAS officers, including Ravi’s colleagues.
“Muniyappa and Prakash were questioned, but not as accused. They were examined. Inquiry is still on. Whosoever were related to D K Ravi are being called and their statements are being recorded,” a senior CBI officer told Express.
A joint team from Delhi and Karnataka questioned Muniyappa and Prakash on Wednesday in Bengaluru to know the circumstances in which Ravi was working in.
Sources said that while Ravi, a 2009-batch IAS officer from the Karnataka cadre, was posted as Deputy Commissioner in Kolar district till October last year, Muniyappa, who was MP from the Kolar Lok Sabha seat, and Prakash and were unhappy with his style of working.
The CBI officer said they questioned Muniyappa and Prakash to get clues on whether there was any pressure on Ravi as he had taken a strong stand against the illegal sand mafia in the district. Ravi’s drive against the sand mafia received huge public support. Call details record of Ravi’s mobile phone show that Muniyappa and Prakash were regularly in touch with him.
The officer also said they questioned bureaucrats and individuals from Koppal and Kalaburagi districts as Ravi had served in there before being posted in Kolar. When he was found dead at his Bengaluru residence on March 16, Ravi was serving as Additional Commissioner, Commercial Tax (Enforcement).
Meanwhile, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences panel gave its opinion to CBI after studying the post-mortem report and circumstances of death. The opinion tallies with forensic reports of two laboratories — FSL Bengaluru and FSL Hyderabad. “AIIMS doctors recently gave their written conclusion that it is a case of suicide by hanging,” a source said.
However, the CBI officer said the agency is awaiting a conclusive report from an expert panel of AIIMS.
Earlier, there were rumours that Ravi’s job-related worries could be behind his death. The CBI registered a preliminary inquiry in the case on May 16.