Bhovi Corpn scam: Karnataka High Court forms SIT to probe suicide of accused

Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court on Wednesday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged abetment to suicide charge against DySP Kanakalakshmi B M. One of the accused in the Bhovi Development Corporation scam case, S Jeeva had ended her life by suicide, leaving behind a detailed suicide note alleging torture by investigating officer Kanaka Lakshmi.

Justice M Nagaprasanna passed this order while dismissing the petition filed by Kanakalakshmi. The court said the SIT will be headed by IPS officer Vinayak Verma, CBI (ACB), Bengaluru and comprising two other IPS officers from the state police; Hakay Akshay Manchhindra of Home Guards and Nisha James of the Internal Security Division.

“The SIT shall resume investigation without any loss of time. The SIT is at liberty to associate other police officers, if required, for its assistance. The investigation shall conclude within an outer limit of three months from the date of its commencement. The report of investigation shall be placed before this court on its completion, within the aforesaid three months or any time earlier,” the court said.

The Banashankari police had registered the FIR against Kanakalakshmi for offences under BNS section 108 (IPC section 306) and section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged demand for Rs 25 lakh bribe. While Kanaka Lakshmi moved the court challenging the crime, the Advocates’ Association of Bengaluru (AAB) moved an application seeking CBI investigation into the crime stating that Jeeva was an advocate.

The prosecution contended that the DySP had only performed her duties in interrogating the accused during the investigation. On the other hand, the AAB claimed that the entire police force was engaged not in investigation, but trying to discover whether deceased Jeeva was indeed an advocate.

The court said that the affidavit filed by the complainant and the death note of the deceased are read in tandem, the nature of torture remains identical. “Merely because the petitioner is a Deputy Superintendent of Police, it would not mean that the entire Police force would be biased in her favour and render a lopsided report. But at the same time, it is necessary to balance public confidence in any investigation being fair. Therefore, if not transfer the entire case to an independent agency like the CBI, I deem it appropriate to draw a part of the independent agency to the investigation by constituting a Special Investigating Team drawn from different sources,” Justice Nagaprasanna said, adding that if SIT comes across material for demand of bribe, investigation shall ensue in accordance with law.