IAS officer D K Ravi committed suicide under mental pressure': Karnataka govt

Belagavi: The Karnataka government on Saturday told the Assembly that IAS officer D K Ravi, whose 'mysterious' death had raised a storm in the state, had committed suicide under "mental pressure".

35-year old Ravi was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at a flat in Bengaluru under suspicious circumstances in March last year.

Bowing to public pressure, the state government had handed over the probe into the incident to CBI.

Ravi was known as an "upright" officer and his death had led to national outrage and state-wide protests.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra tabling the CBI report on behalf of the Home Minister in a statement said, "CBI, after completing the investigation, had on November 24 submitted the report to Assistant Commissioner, Bengaluru South Sub-Division and Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

"It had been communicated (by the magistrate) to the government about accepting the CBI report and closing the case on November 26 as per section 176 of CrPC (Inquiry by Magistrate into cause of death).

"As documented in the CBI report, the opinion expressed by medical experts, forensic science lab report and statement of evidence recorded during the investigation, was that IAS officer D K Ravi committed suicide under mental pressure," Jayachandra said.

As Jayachandra read out the Home Minister's statement, Opposition Leader Jagadish Shettar accused the government of handing over the investigation to CBI late, "after evidence was destroyed".

The family of Ravi, who had taken on the sand and land mafia besides ordering crackdown on tax evaders, had suspected foul play into his death and demanded an inquiry by the central agency.

Opposition BJP and JDS had also launched an offensive against the Siddaramaiah government.

Initially, the Congress-led state government had said a CID inquiry would be adequate in the incident, but later yielded to calls for CBI probe.