Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Amid growing chorus for a CBI probe into the mysterious death of an upright IAS officer, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today asserted that the government was not protecting anybody and would make its stand known in the Assembly on Monday.

"We are not going to hide anything. We are not going to protect anybody. We are also particular that the truth should come out," the chief minister said.

He said the state CID, which is now probing the case, was also an independent body like the CBI. "We have to look at the morale of our police also."

"Since the Assembly is going on and has been adjourned to Monday, the stand of the government would be made known on the floor of the House," he told reporters here, as his government came under increasing pressure with Congress President Sonia Gandhi also advising him to hold an inquiry by the central agency.

He said he had apprised the party central leadership, including Gandhi, of the developments.
"But madam has not instructed me to do like this or that. She told us that it is for the government to take a decision and given free hand to the government," he claimed.

Siddaramaiah said he understood the sentiments of the people and of the parents of 35-year-old D K Ravi, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his apartment on Monday last.

He said he met Ravi’s parents on March 18 and had told them that the government would take a decision after the post-mortem and other related reports are available with it.

"I am making it very clear that the government is not going to protect anybody. We are not going to hide anything," Siddaramaiah said.

"We are very transparent in this. We are also very particular that the truth comes out. People of Karnataka should know the truth," he said.

Earlier News:

Finally, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah decides to hand over IAS officer’s death probe to CBI

BENGALURU: After staving the demand to hand over IAS officer DK Ravi’s death probe to the CBI for the last three days despite pressure from all quarters, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday is said to have decided to refer the case to the central agency following the Congress high command’s intervention.

With the issue figuring in the Parliament and the Congress government in Karnataka emerging as being the sole voice favouring a CID investigation as against unanimous demand for a CBI probe is said to have prompted the high command to ask the CM to agree for it. For the first time the Karnataka IAS Officers’ Association decided to voice their opinion and favoured the case being handed over to the CBI

The formal announcement of referring the case to the CBI will be made on the floor of the legislature on Monday when both houses, meet, where business was stalled by the combined opposition BJP-JD(S) since March 17 demanding for the same meet. The 35 year-old Ravi, additional commissioner, commercial taxes (enforcement), was found dead in his apartment on March 16 evening.

Home minister KJ George is expected to submit an interim report of the CID’s finding on Monday. The BJP has planned to move a privilege motion against the CM for selective leak of information and also a resolution seeking a CBI inquiry, if no announcement is made. However, sources said there were all possibilities of the government announcing a CBI probe on Sunday.

Sources said the government would table a report on the findings of the CID, which is presently investigating the case and announce handing it over to the CBI. The fact that the officer’s death had evoked spontaneous protests from elected representatives and the public with the issue taking caste colour and seers attending the Vokkaligara Sangha rally in Bengaluru on Friday along with the BJP-JD(S) planning to intensify it agitation from Monday is said to have acted as a catalyst for a CBI investigation. Siddaramaiah accompanied by George met governor Vajubhai R Vala on Friday and apprised him of the issue. Sources said besides from the local police investigations, a central team from the Union home ministry had accessed all records pertaining to the officer and briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about it.

CM’s refusal to hand over the case to the CBI had caused resentment among some ministers in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet, who felt an impression was gaining ground that the government was trying to hide something. This was evident in Thursday’s cabinet meeting, when some senior ministers suggested that the government should do so and not make it a prestige issue.

Sources said the CM was also open to a CBI inquiry from the first day. But he opted for a CID inquiry as the Central agency stepping in would have caused embarrassment to some people. "The opposition has named George saying his company was probed by Ravi. If the CBI steps in, the opposition will demand George’s resignation till the inquiry is completed," they added.