DySP suicide; Karna minister George resigns

Facing mounting pressure, Karnataka Minister K J George today resigned shortly after a court directed police to register an FIR against him and two top police officers in connection with alleged suicide of a DySP, which has kicked up a huge storm in the state.
George stepped down within hours after a local court at Madikeri in Kodagu district gave the direction on a private criminal complaint filed by the deceased police officer M K Ganapathy's son Nehal requesting it to direct the police to take up investigation against the minister and two officers for allegedly abetting his father's suicide.

"I have submitted my resignation...It is left to the Chief Minister (to accept or not)," George, Minister for Bengaluru development, said, adding, he had taken the step to pave the way for an impartial probe.
Asserting that his conscience was "clear", George said "... I have not harassed anybody... I will come out clean."
The order by Additional Judicial Magistrate First Class Annapurneshwari came, as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faced growing clamour to remove George, with the Opposition stalling proceedings of both the Houses of legislature, which were abruptly adjourned sine die today much before the July 30 schedule.
Ganapathy's wife Pavana and Nehal had approached the court, stating that the police had rejected the complaint lodged by them with the Kushalanagar police on July 10 against George and IPS officials A M Prasad and Pranab Mohanty.

In his complaint, Nehal had said his father had made a "dying declaration" naming George and the two officers and their acts amounted to "abetting the commission of suicide."

George said he would take a "legal remedy" in the case.
Stepping up pressure after the court directive, BJP went on a "Raj Bhavan chalo" march requesting Governor Vajubhai Vala to direct the government to order a CBI probe and to drop George "in the interest of fairness and natural justice."
As news of George's resignation came, state BJP President B S Yeddyurappa said it had come after the court direction to file an FIR and added, "resignation is not important. An impartial probe is important."

"Along with George's resignation, a CBI probe is required. Our fight will continue," Yeddyurappa said after leading the march which came soon after the sudden end to the monsoon session of the state legislature.
Nehal's counsel M T Nanaiah said Investigating Officers would have to question George and the two police officers and take a call on whether to arrest them or not depending on their probe.
"Hope we will get justice. Let us see further what happens," Gapanathy's wife told reporters at Madikeri.
Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) and Pranab Mohanty (IGP- Lokayukta) would be responsible "if anything happens to me."

Facing a combative Opposition, which has been stalling Assembly proceedings since Monday last, the state government constituted a judicial commission headed by K N Keshavanarayana to inquire into the alleged suicide.
The commission would inquire into the "circumstances and events" leading to the "unnatural death" of Ganapathy. The case was being probed by the state CID.
The Opposition BJP and JDS had rejected the judicial probe, with the former insisting on a CBI inquiry.
A series of incidents involving alleged suicides by two DySps and resignation by another DySP has put the Siddaramaiah government in the line of fire of Opposition parties, which alleged that honest officials were being tormented.

Chikkamagalur DySP Handibag, named as accused in a kidnapping case, was found hanging in his father-in-law's house in Belagavi district on July 5.
Prior to this, Anupama Shenoy had resigned as DySP of Kudlagi in Ballari district unhappy over alleged inteference by the then district in charge minister Parameshwara Naik, who has since been dropped in the recent major ministry rejig.
The Siddaramaiah government faced the first major storm in March last year when senior IAS official D K Ravi allegedly committed suicide under mysterious circumstances, with the public and Opposition outrage forcing the government to hand over the case to the CBI.