Bengaluru: Karnataka CID on Saturday gave clean chit to former minister K J George and two senior police officers in connection with the alleged suicide of DySP M K Ganapathy, which had kicked up a huge storm in the state, in its ‘B’ report filed to a court in Madikeri.

“Yes we have filed a B report to the court,” a top CID official said. He said there was no clear evidence against the three who were named in the case. DySP Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and A M Prasad (now Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety) and Pranab Mohanty (now on central deputation as Additional Deputy Director General of UIDAI) would be responsible if anything happens to him.

Ahead of the CID filing its report in the Madikeri court, Ganapathy’s father and brother had moved the High Court, seeking a CBI probe into his death for a free, fair and impartial investigation which they said could not be expected from the CID. Ganapathy’s father M K Kushalappa and brother M K Machaiah, who suspected foul play in the death of the police officer, contended that CID was likely to close the probe with a B report by giving a clean chit to George and the two police officials.

In the face of mounting pressure, George had resigned on July 18 soon after a court directed police to register an FIR against him and the two police officers in connection with the matter. A local court at Madikeri in Kodagu district had directed on a private criminal complaint by Ganapathy’s son, Nehal, requesting it to direct police to take up investigation against the minister and the officers for allegedly abetting his father’s suicide.

Government had come under attack from the Opposition, which had stalled the Assembly proceedings by staging a day-night agitation inside the House demanding a CBI enquiry, to which the government did not budge. With his name being cleared by CID, George, who is considered to be the close confidant of Siddaramaiah, is likely to be inducted into the cabinet.

PTI