BENGALURU: While Congress has been firm in defending Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to start the probe from the ground level. The probe will be independent of CID, which had earlier filed a B-report in the case of DySP Ganapathy’s suicide.
According to CBI sources, the delay in registering complaints and naming the then Home Minister K J George, then state intelligence ADGP A M Prasad and IGP-Lokayukta Pronab Mohanty will also be looked into. “CID had filed a B-report in the case and there were allegations of evidence being tampered with which would be re-investigated by the CBI,” a CBI source said.
The CID had submitted a full report to CBI this week after Director of CBI, Chennai division, asked for it in an official letter to DGP-CID Kishore Chandra. A B-report that was submitted to the High Court had given a clean chit to George, Pronab Mohanthy and A M Prasad. DGP Kishore Chandra confirmed that the report has been handed over to CBI.
Former DG&IGP S T Ramesh said the CBI will collect all papers from both local and CID police first and investigate the case afresh.
Asked whether the CBI can ask these officials to vacate their posts, he affirmed the same. “However, it will be left to the state government’s discretion to consider it. CBI can ask the Supreme Court for vacation of the posts held by the minister and officials. But what matters is the grounds on which such a transfer is sought,” he added.
George is Bengaluru Development Minister and Prasad now heads the State Intelligence. Pronab at present works as Deputy Director General of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
According to a CBI source, “The FIR was registered based on the Supreme Court order dated September 5, based on an appeal filed by M K Kushalappa, Ganapathy’s father and Nehal Ganapathy, his son.”
Initially, the case was registered in Madikeri town police station for abetment to suicide (IPC 306). The case has now been re-registered and taken up for investigation. “The case will be independently investigated by CBI and all the standard operating procedures will be followed. The investigations of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) will not make any difference,” the source added.
On July 7, 2016, DySP Ganapathy had committed suicide at a Madikeri lodge, after telling a TV channel that three people — minister K J George, and IPS officers A M Prasad and Pronab Mohanty — had harassed him.