CID grills George for 3 hrs over Ganapathi suicide

Criminal Investigation Department sleuths on Friday questioned former minister K J George over the suicide of DySP MK Ganapathi. The questioning took place in a room at the CID headquarters.

The CID had served a notice on George on August 22 to obtain his statement in the case. “CID investigating officer Sridhar questioned George and took his statement. The officers will analyse the statements and act accordingly,” Hemanth Nimbalkar, IGP, CID, told DH.

George reached the CID office around 4 pm. The questioning took place between 4.30 pm and 7.30 pm. The CID had 162 questions for him. The list was given to George once the questioning began. George answered all the questions. He had detailed explanations for some. ADGP (CID) Prathap Reddy and Nimbalkar were present during the questioning.

During the questioning, George denied all the charges levelled against him by the deceased officer. He told the police that he never had any rivalry with Ganapathi. He never intervened in his transfer and promotion issues, said the police.

An officer quoted what George said during the questioning. “I deny the charges levelled by Ganapathi. I have not committed anything wrong. I request the CID officers to clear my name,” he said.

The former minister claimed he was not in regular touch with Ganapathi. He would seek detailed reports from senior officers while taking action against any subordinate officers when he was Home Minister.

An officer quoting George said he never interfered in any issue related to Ganapathi and went by the reports submitted to him by senior officials. George said Ganapathi visited him thrice to discuss the transfer and twice to discuss the promotion. “George had told Ganapathi that the police board would decide the two matters. He didn’t influence Ganapathi’s promotion or transfer,’’ the officer quoting George as saying.

George was questioned about the violence that broke out in a church in Mangaluru. He said he never spoke to Ganapathi over the matter.

Ganapathi, a 1994-batch officer, gave a 36-minute interview to a TV channel before hanging himself at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7. He blamed George, A M Prasad (IGP-Intelligence) and Pronab Mohanty (IGP-Lokayukta). An FIR was registered against the three on the order of a Madikeri court.