Setback For Siddaramaiah Government As CBI Names Minister KJ George In Police Officer’s Death Case

Opposition parties in Karnataka have demanded the immediate resignation of KJ George, state minister, after the Central Bureau Of Investigations (CBI) named him as the first accused in the case of the mysterious death of a police officer.

Apart from the Congress minister, former IGP (Lokayukta) Pranov Mohanty and ex-ADG of police (state intelligence) A M Prasad have also been named in the first information report (FIR). Prior to his death, DSP Ganapathy had alleged that Minister KJ George, Pranav Mohanty and AM Prasad would be ‘responsible if anything happened to him’.

Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy was found dead at Madikeri in July last year. Considering the mysterious circumstances of the death, the Supreme Court handed over the case to the CBI in September this year after hearing a petition from DSP Ganapathy’s father. The Karnataka High Court had earlier rejected a petition requesting a CBI probe.

Karnataka state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded Minister KJ George’s immediate resignation. "Since the CBI has named George as the first accused (in the case), I demand his resignation immediately," the party’s chief in Karnataka Yeddyurappa said.

"It was DSP Ganapathy’s father who had moved the Supreme Court, which ordered CBI inquiry, and hence, there is no question of vendetta politics played by BJP here," he said.