Kalburgi murder: CBI probe not OK

The Karnataka government has taken a wrong decision to hand over the case of the killing of writer and former Hampi Kannada University vice-chancellor M M Kalburgi to the CBI. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had first said that the case would be investigated by the state CID. But later the cabinet decided to hand over the case to the CBI. There is no sound reason for it. The case does not seem to have any inter-state ramifications which the state police cannot probe. The CBI is usually entrusted with cases where the state police finds it difficult to conduct investigations in another state. The case is not of the kind in which the state CID’s investigation might be considered biased or liable to be influenced by the government. No one has accused the government of having any special interest in the case. If the reason, as some reports suggest, is that some ministers felt it is a sensitive case, it does not reflect well on the government and the state police. Is the state police not capable of credible and efficient investigation of sensitive cases?

The responsibility for investigating the case and bringing the culprits to book lies with the chief minister, the state administration and the home minister. This should not be evaded and shifted to the CBI. This is not the first time the government is looking to the CBI for what should be done by the state police. It recently decided to refer the lottery scam in the state to the CBI. Siddaramaiah then said that this was done to “maintain the image of the government’’. Isn’t an efficient investigation by the state police best for the image of the government? The government has always maintained that the state police are capable of investigating the most difficult cases and solving them. Then why is it handing over some cases, without anybody demanding it, to the CBI?

The killing of Kalburgi was similar to the killing of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar in 2013 and of Govind Pansare this year in Maharashtra. The CBI, which is investigating the cases, has not yet made any progress. Nobody has been arrested. There is criticism that the CBI, controlled by the Centre, is not seriously investigating the cases because Hindu fundamentalists may be involved in them. When there is suspicion that such elements may be involved in Kalburgi’s killing too, is it wise to go in for a CBI investigation?