Bengaluru (PTI): Facing rising public anger over the mysterious death of an upright IAS officer with growing calls for a CBI probe, Karnataka Chief Siddaramaiah today met Governor Vajubhai Val and briefed him about the developments in the case.
“I have met the Governor. I have explained him about the developments in Ravi’s case till date,” Siddaramaiah told reporters after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan.
He said “Governor has heard what we have explained to him; we have told him investigation is going on and investigation has been handed over to CID.”
There has been a clamour for CBI probe from Opposition parties and the family of the IAS officer D K Ravi, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his flat on Monday. Stepping up pressure, BJP and JDS MLAs had yesterday marched in a procession from Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, to Raj Bhavan and requested Governor to advise the Siddaramaiah Government to refer the case to CBI.
Home Minister K J George had made it clear after a cabinet meeting yesterday that there was no change in the stand of the government, which has come under attack from the Opposition and others for “stonewalling” central probe.
Speaking to reporters here, JDS leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today charged the Congress Government with trying to hush up truth behind the case by raking up the personal life of Ravi and dragging the name of a woman IAS officer who was his batchmate into the issue.
“The wish of six crore people of this state and media is that truth has to come out.In such a situation fresh feathers irrespective of its credibility are being added to the case,” he said.
He also accused the government of selectively floating information and stories in the media to mislead the public about this case.
Kumaraswamy questioned whether investigation has been limited to unearth alleged telephonic calls made by him to a woman IAS officer before his death or it would extend to raids conducted by him against big builders and tax defaulters during the last one month.
“After those raids who all have called Ravi on his phone; or any influential persons in the government who had called through a BSNL phone and used threatening words of eliminating him if he (Ravi) continues in the same way, has this also been included into the ambit of the investigation?” he said.
Kumaraswamy also questioned the Chief Minister on his having reportedly said that 44 calls were made by Ravi to a woman IAS officer on the day of his death. “Were truly 44 calls made to the lady officer on that day? Who gave this information to Chief Minister?”
He also alleged that the woman officer’s statement was recorded from 10 pm to 2 am and it has been videographed, adding that now she has been asked to move out of the state.