Retired judge to probe Karnataka cop's suicide

The Karnataka government has appointed Justice K.N. Keshavanarayana, a retired judge of the state high court, as a one-man commission of inquiry to probe the death of Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathi on July 7, an official statement said on Saturday night.

In a notification, state Home Department's Additional Secretary Subhash Chandra said the commission would inquire into the circumstances and events leading to Ganapathi's unnatural death in a lodge at Madikeri in Kodagu district.

"The terms of reference of the commission are to inquire into the circumstances and events leading to the unnatural death of Ganapathi in room number 315, Vinayaka Lodge, Madikeri on July 7 and as per the case registered on the same day at the town police station under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 and submit the report within six months," the statement said.

Though the opposition BJP and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) lawmakers have been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into Ganapathi's death, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a judicial inquiry on Wednesday in the legislative assembly in place of the CID probe that was underway since July 9.

Ganapathi, 51, was found hanging by a rope to the ceiling fan in the lodge room on July 7 hours after he gave an interview to a local news channel, accusing former state Home Minister K.J. George and two IPS officers of harassing him and that they would be responsible should anything happen to him.

George was the home minister till October 31, 2015 before he was made Bengaluru Development Minister and the Congress' state unit president G. Parameshwara replaced him.

The two IPS officers are Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A.M. Prasad and Lokayukta (Ombudsman) Inspector General of Police Pronab Mohanty.

--IANS

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