Lokayukta police registers FIR against independent MLA

The Lokayukta Police today filed an FIR against Kolar MLA Varthur Prakash on charges of criminally intimidating a district tahsildar, a subordinate of D K Ravi, the IAS officer found dead in mysterious circumstances two weeks ago.

"Kolar Lokayukta Police has filed FIR against Kolar MLA Varthur Prakash for criminally intimidating a tahsildar in Kolar district," Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations), Karnataka Lokayukta, Syed Riaz, told PTI here.

The registration of FIR comes in the wake of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy releasing an audio clipping of a purported telephonic conversation between Prakash and the tahsildar.
In the tape, the MLA is purportedly heard putting pressure on the lower officer, threatening him to release four lorries of seized illegal sand and also speaking about the transfer of Ravi from Kolar district.

Ravi was posted as Deputy Commissioner in Kolar before his transfer to Bengaluru. The IAS officer was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his flat in Bengaluru on March 16, with police suspecting it to be prima facie a case of suicide.

The FIR has been filed against the MLA (independent) under IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Riaz said.

Earlier, Additional Registrar (Inquiries) of Lokayukta M S Balakrishna had held a preliminary inquiry into the complaints lodged by activist B Harish Kumar of 'Karnataka Ranadhira Pade' along with the copies of the audio clipping, and decided to book the legislator under the IPC sections and PCA, Riaz said.

After Balakrishna submitted the preliminary report to Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, it was forwarded to the Additional Director General of Police (Lokayukta) for further investigation, Riaz said.

Facing public outcry and pressure from Opposition, the state government on March 23 recommended a CBI probe into the mysterious death of the upright officer.