BJP demands resignation of minister over SC order on CBI probe

BJP today staged a demonstration here demanding the resignation of Karnataka Minister K J George in the wake of the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe into the alleged suicide of a DySP, who had accused him and some senior IPS officers of harassing him.

The apex court had on September five ordered a CBI probe into the death of M K Ganapathy, a deputy superintendent of Karnataka police, saying there were "startling facts" in the case which needed to be probed in a fair manner.

Led by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, a large number of party leaders and workers turned up at the Mourya Circle here asking George to step down as a minister, saying otherwise the probe might be influenced.
 

Lok Sabha members Shobha Karandlaje, B Sriramulu and Pratap Simha and party leaders, including K E Eshwarappa, took part in the protest.

Sriramulu said he was a minister when Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister but resigned when his name figured in the Lokayukta report in connection with illegal iron ore mining.

The 51-year-old Ganapathy was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge at Madikeri in Kodagu district on July seven last year, with the mystery surrounding the death raising a huge political controversy. Prior to the alleged suicide, Ganapathy had told a local TV channel in an interview that the then Home Minister George and two senior police officers A M Prasad and Pranab Mohanty would be responsible "if anything happens to me".

The Supreme Court had also asked the CBI to file a status report on the probe within three months.