DySP suicide; court directs registration of FIR against minister, two IPS officials

Madikeri: A court here Monday directed police to register an FIR against Karnataka minister K J George and two top police officials in connection with the alleged suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy, which has raised a huge storm in the state.

The order by Additional Judicial Magistrate First Class Annapurneshwari came on a private criminal complaint filed by the deceased police official's son Nehal Ganapathy requesting the court to direct the Kodagu police to take up investigation against the minister and two officers for allegedly abetting his father's suicide.

Ganapathy’s wife Pavana and Nehal had approached the court, stating that the police had rejected the complaint lodged by them with the Kushalanagar police on July 10 against George and IPS officials A M Prasad and Pranab Mohanty.

In his complaint, Nehal had said his father had made a "dying declaration" naming George and the two officers and their acts amounted to "abetting the commission of suicide."

Appealing to the court to take cognisance of the offence punishable under IPC section 306 read with Section 34, the complaint had also claimed that the accused were highly placed and influential persons who had prevailed upon police from taking action against them.

Nehal's counsel M T Nanaiah said that the Investigating Officers would have to question George and the two police officers and take a call on whether to arrest them or not depending on their probe.

Reacting to the court's directive in Bengaluru, Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said the minister should resign immediately and the two IPS officers suspended to pave the way for an impartial probe.

Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP- Lokayukta) would be responsible "if anything happens to me."

The case is currently being investigated by CID.

Coming under attack from the Opposition, which has been stalling Assembly proceedings since Monday last, the Karnataka government has constituted a judicial commission headed by K N Keshavanarayana to inquire into the alleged suicide.

The commission would inquire into the "circumstances and events" leading to the "unnatural death" of Ganapathy.

The Opposition BJP and JDS have rejected the judicial probe and been insisting on a CBI inquiry and resignation of George.