Bengaluru: The actions of the police, in the hours following the discovery of IAS officer DK Ravi’s body on Monday, appears to be the principal reason for the opposition’s claim that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is trying to cover-up the case.
BJP legislator and former minister CT Ravi pointed out that the spot inquiry was not carried out as per procedure. “God alone knows what the police did after they found the body. There was no independent witness. Police say they found no suicide note…how can we believe this when the most basic procedure was not followed? Minutes after visiting the spot police commissioner MN Reddi claimed it was a suicide. What was his hurry to make the statement when the body hadn’t been sent for post mortem?” Ravi said in the legislative assembly even as chief minister Siddaramaiah dismissed his allegations as politically motivated.
Home Minister KJ George’s statement that he is concerned about Ravi’s death evoked jeers with BJP and JD(S) leaders pointing out that Ravi conducted raids on companies owned by George as well. George’s claim that Ravi committed suicide because of differences with his wife drew further criticism from the opposition.
A senior police officer as well as a colleague of Ravi claimed he was being blackmailed by builders who had accessed some embarrassing personal details. Although there isn’t any proof to show that the real estate mafia was responsible for Ravi’s death, the phenomenal boom in the city’s real estate sector over the last 20 years has been pockmarked by land scams, gang wars and assassinations.
Protests were witnessed in May 2012 as well when government auditor, SP Mahantesh, who was probing violations by housing societies, was murdered. The then BJP government found itself in the same position as the present Congress government after it emerged that Mahantesh was probing the role of senior party MLAs and ministers in the housing society scam.
