A first information report was on Tuesday registered against former Karnataka minister K J George, naming him as the first accused in connection with the alleged suicide of deputy superintendent of police M K Ganapathy.
A day after the additional judicial magistrate first class direction, Madikeri town police filed the FIR against George and two top IPS officers under Indian Penal Code Section 306 (abatement of suicide) read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Pranab Mohanty (Inspector General of Police-Lokayukta) is named as the second accused and A M Prasad (IG-Intelligence) as third accused, police said.
Hours before his death, in an interview to a local TV channel, Ganapathy had said George and Prasad and Mohanty were harassing him and they would be responsible ‘if anything happens to me’.
Earlier, several Hindu outfits on Tuesday held protest in front of the Town police station demanding that police file the FIR. The protesters staged a rasta roko disturbing traffic for about half-an-hour.
Facing intense pressure over the suicide with Opposition parties clamouring for his resignation, George had on Monday stepped down as minister on ‘moral grounds’ shortly after the court’s direction on FIR.
The Karnataka government has announced a judicial commission to probe the circumstances leading to the alleged suicide, report on which is expected within months.
George has been maintaining that his ‘conscience’ is clear and he quit to pave the way for an impartial probe.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been strongly defending George, saying there was not even an iota of evidence against him and he had resigned as a ‘loyal soldier’ of the Congress as he did not want to embarrass party, the chief minister and the government.
