Judicial probe ordered into Dy.SP suicide

BENGALURU, July 14, 2016:With an unrelenting Opposition pressing for the demand of his resignation, Karnataka Development Minister K.J. George is expected to rush to New Delhi to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Sources added that Mr. George was summoned to New Delhi by the party high command which is “concerned” about the embarrassment caused by the allegations made against him by Dy SP M.K. Ganapathy, who committed suicide. The development comes after Chief Minister Siddaramiah turned down the Opposition’s demand in the Legislative Assembly for a CBI probe into the death of the police officer, and instead ordered a judicial probe by a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court into the case. Replying to the debate on Ganapathy’s death and the allegations levelled by the officer, the Chief Minister alleged that the Opposition’s demand for a CBI probe was “politically motivated” and said: “We have complete faith in the State’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Let the CID complete its probe and submit its report.” The Chief Minister also stood firmly behind Mr. George as well as two senior IPS officers, A.M. Prasad and Pronab Mohanty, who Mr. Ganapathy had accused of harassing him, in a television interview before his death. Combating the Opposition’s demand for Mr. George’s resignation, Mr. Siddaramiah said: “There is not even an iota of evidence to prove that Mr. George or the two IPS officers harassed Ganapathy.” He also refused to consider Ganapathy’s interview to a private TV channel, hours before his death, as a “dying declaration”. However, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (S) legislators were not satisfied with the Chief Minister’s announcement and embarked on a day-and-night dharna in the State legislature. They packed pillows and mattresses and camped in the legislature houses on Wednesday. The Hindu