This is not a dignified way of handling the death of a promising young officer: M Madana Gopal

Interview with Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary (environment, forest and ecology)

The news of Indian Administrative Services officer D K Ravi's unnatural death has caused outrage at the national and state level. Various theories abound, including the fact that the officer may have been a target of the land mafia he had taken on in Bengaluru or the sand mining mafia in Kolar, where he was posted earlier. Reports have emerged that the state might hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, a move that would be welcomed, says Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary (environment, forest and ecology) M Madana Gopal. In an interview with Indulekha Aravind, Gopal, one of the IAS officers to have signed a petition to the prime minister asking for a CBI probe and who has himself been transferred due to political pressure, says the details about Ravi's personal life are being leaked to reduce the intensity of people's anger

The government said handing over the case to CBI would demoralise the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) and local police. Is that a valid argument here?

A 36-year-old IAS officer who was known for his integrity and commitment died under suspicious circumstances. Those are the facts. We should not go into whether it was suicide or homicide at this point. Secondly, when the life of an officer who is evolving into an icon for the youth is nipped in the bud, it sends a very wrong signal. This is why there is such a public outcry. When there is public outcry, there are certain apprehensions that local investigative agencies could be under the same pressure as Ravi was, irrespective of whether such agencies can work independently. If it is an open-and-shut case, why are they afraid of referring it to CBI?

What do you make of the statements that Ravi had made 40 phone calls to a lady officer the day he died?

Is that conclusive evidence of anything? This makes allegations against a person who cannot defend himself. Today there are reports that he had amassed crores of wealth, that he was having an affair - if these people were so concerned, why was this not brought out six months ago? Why this sudden, selective moral policing? This is not a dignified way of handling the death of a young officer. More damage has already been done by dragging in the name of a lady officer and violating her privacy. It is a shocking violation of her human rights. It's a disgraceful development. These leaks are being made to prepare people for the theory that it was a suicide for personal reasons, and to reduce the intensity of people's anger, by making the victim the villain.

What about the allegations against real estate developers?

They have to be investigated by CBI. I consider it a case where, prima facie, he was targeted by the mafia.

The more the delay in handing over the case, the greater the damage to the system and the political party concerned.

What are the pressures officers have to work under?

An officer at such a young age had challenged the biggest lobbies of the sand and land mafias in Karnataka. Obviously, it leads to the suspicion that there could be something more than a personal angle to his death. We all face these pressures, whether while tackling illegal mining or encroachments. But the system has yet to generate the maturity and balance to support such officers.

What is the kind of support officers receive from the community?

In the past, there used to be very good senior officers. Not that they are not there today, but there were officers like Brahmadev Sharma, S K Das, V Balasubramaniam, who used to call us if we were in any deep crisis. Such officers are in a minority now, I'm not sure why. The system of mentoring and advising young officers has stopped. A core mentor group is required.

Have there been protests among officers over Ravi's death?

Oh yes, both at the national and state level. At the state level, though the association has not taken a stand, apart from a "wait and see" approach, most officers feel this should have been referred to CBI as early as possible. The national association too has been demanding the same.

Why do you think there was such an outpouring of grief and anger over Ravi's death?

The officer was very young and he had touched the hearts of lakhs of people. People were shocked by the death, as if a family member had died. It was a very legitimate protest by all sections of society.