Former Karnataka minister and senior Congress leader K.J. George (in picture) suffered a setback on Friday when a Special Court for legislators in Bengaluru rejected the ‘B’ report submitted by the CBI in Dy SP M.K. Ganapathi’s suicide case.
Dy SP Madapanda K Ganapathi (in picture) ended his life at a lodge in Madikeri in July, 2016, after giving television interview blaming the then home minister K.J. George, and the then ADGP (intelligence) A M Prasad, and DIG Pranab Mohanty, for harassing him.
Judge T.N. Inavally ordered that a case be registered under sections 306 (abetment of suicide with common intention) along with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code against George and the police officers on a petition moved by Nehal Ganapathy, son of the deceased officer. The court adjourned the hearing to September 28.
Ganapathi had reportedly alleged in a suicide note that an officer was harassing him by seeking money for giving him a clean chit in a case involving attack on church at Mangaluru in 2008 where he was then posted.
Reports had hinted that in view of the closeness of George to the Congress high command, the Siddaramaiah government was in a haste to give a clean chit to George in the case investigated by the Karnataka CID which had submitted a ‘B’ report (no evidence against the accused).
Subsequently, acting on a petition by Ganapathy’s father M. K. Kushalappa, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit said, in the interest of justice, the matter should be investigated by the CBI.
“There are certain startling facts in the case. Whether it is murder or suicide, it is required to be investigated in a fair manner. We are not determining the nature of the offence or who is guilty. But public confidence and societal requirement demand that the guilty persons must be reached,” the bench said.
The CBI which investigated the case had submitted a closure report to the court in October last year.
George, who hails from Kodagu, presently represents Sarvagnanagar constituency in Bengaluru in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
