CID gives clean chit to George in DySP case

The Criminal Investigation Department is said to have given a clean chit to former minister K J George and two IPS officers in the case related to the suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathi in July.

Sources, however, said the details of the CID’s final investigation report, submitted to the Judicial Magistrate First Class Court at Madikeri in Kodagu district on Saturday, have not been made public.

CID investigation officer Sridhar handed over the 500-page report to Judge Annapoorneshwari. Sources said a ‘B’ report had been filed in the case citing lack of evidence over harassment charges levelled by Ganapathi  against George and IPS officers Pronab Mohanty and A M Prasad before he committed suicide. Prasad was the then ADGP (Intelligence) and Mohanty IGP (Lokayukta).

Nehal, son of Ganapathi, had filed a private complaint in court accusing George and the two IPS officers of being responsible for his father’s death. Based on the complaint, the court had directed the police to file an FIR against the three. Later, the high court ordered the CID to conduct a probe.

The CID DySP had sought time before the JMFC court judge to complete the investigation. Based on an appeal, the court had directed the CID team to file the final investigation report by September 19. The agency has submitted its report two days in advance.

Sources in the CID said a ‘B’ report was filed in the case as there were no evidences against the three accused. Except Ganapathi’s statements to a local news channel in Madikeri, there is no other evidence, they said.

“We cross-examined 70 witnesses, including the members of Ganapathi’s family and the staff of Vinayaka Lodge where he committed suicide. There is no reference to any harassment by them in the two diaries found at Ganapathi’s home and office,” CID sources told DH.

The report is said to have mentioned that George never spoke or met Ganapathi after being moved out of the Home department.

An officer said the CID report pointed out that Ganapathi worked under Prasad for three months in 2008. After that there was no communication between the two. In case of Mohanty, the deceased officer never worked under him.

The CID report is also said to have mentioned that Ganapathi was under depression after being moved out of the executive post following charges of dereliction of duty, fake encounter and misuse of money recovered in a theft case.

Reacting to the CID report, Ganapathi’s wife K K Pavana said she would decide on the next course of action after the court hearing on September 19. Pavana said she was fighting a lonely battle. “Initially, everyone was with us. Now, there is nobody to support us. I have worked hard during the CID investigation. It is also affecting my children’s studies,” she said.