IAS officers back demand for CBI probe into Ravi 'suicide'
19 Mar 2015
The Indian Administrative Service officers in Karnataka have lent their voice to the rising demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the death of colleague D K Ravi. There are many IAS officers among the 13.5 lakh people who have signed an online petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
"There are attempts from some quarters to assassinate the character of the IAS officer," Press Trust of India quoted M Madana Gopal, additional chief secretary (environment, forests and ecology) as saying. "We won't allow attempts to kill Ravi for second time."
Gopal, however, said he was not questioning the credentials of state-run investigating agencies. "They are able, but this case is of different genre and should be given to an independent agency," the IAS officer said.
The lawmakers of the opposition BJP and JD (S), who are on an indefinite protest over the issue since Tuesday, spent another night at the assembly building.
The state government has dug in its heels, with both chief minister Siddaramaiah and state home minister K J George ruling out a CBI inquiry.
On Wednesday, union law minister Sadananda Gowda of the BJP said he would meet union home minister Rajnath Singh to demand a CBI inquiry.
The 36-year-old IAS officer, who had taken on the sand mafia during his tenure as district collector in Kolar and was reportedly still getting threats, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his Bengaluru apartment on Monday. The police have said prima facie, it was a case of suicide.
Ravi's parents, who sat on a dharna on Wednesday after conducting the last rites, have threatened to commit suicide unless justice was done.
His father-in-law Hanumantharayappa, at whose home the officer had spent the weekend, alleged that he had told him he was "being targeted" by a particular group.
Last year, Ravi was deputed to the commercial tax department. He was investigating real estate majors and big jewellers for alleged tax evasion and had conducted several major raids.
