Karnataka BJP MPs demand CBI probe; Rajnath Singh assures action

New Delhi: A delegation of BJP MPs from Karnataka on Wednesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded a CBI probe into the death of a young IAS officer in Bangalore.

"All Karnataka BJP MPs met the Home Minister and urged him that action should be taken for a CBI probe into the death ofD K Ravi. The Home Minister assured us that he will speak to the Chief Minister and ask for a report on the incident," Chemical and Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters here after meeting Singh.

Kumar, an MP from Bangalore, alleged that Bangalore Commissioner of police was pre-judging the death of Ravi by announcing it as suicide.

"There is a rage in Karnataka as well as in the country. There are questions whether Ravi was a victim of mafia. We have requested the Home Minister to ask the Chief Minister to recommend a CBI inquiry into the case," he said. 

Kumar was accompanied by fellow MPs from Karnataka including Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, B S Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, Prahlad Joshi, Prathap Simha besides others.

The BJP leaders in their memorandum said the theory of suicide "attempted to be floated" by Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddy and Karnataka Home Minister K J George leaves no doubt that the state government is all in haste to wash of its hands by concluding the death prima-facie a case of suicide for personal reasons.

"The officer had an excellent track record and outstanding credentials which needs to be looked from his actions. He had courageously took on against 'land mafia and sand mafia' during his short stint as Deputy Commissioner at Kolar. And then conducted raids on top business houses and constructionhouses as additional commissioner commercial tax department(enforcement), which on face value contradicts the theory of suicide.

"His sudden transfer from that post of Deputy Commissioner Kolar had caused serious resentment by people, who had resorted to large scale protest," the memorandum said.