George, 2 IPS officers get clean chit in Ganapathy case

The CBI has submitted a B report to the local court absolving MLA and former home minister K J George, senior IPS officers Pranav Mohanty and A M Prasad of allegations of abetting the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathy.

The case had taken a turn after M K Machaiah, the brother of M K Ganapathy approached Supreme Court, seeking a CBI investigation. With the mystery surrounding the case now coming to an end, the CBI’s report will surely bring relief to George, Prasad, and Mohathy. The 260-page report was submitted in a sealed envelope to the JMFC Court in Madikeri by the CBI on October 29.

Ganapathy who was serving as a DySP at the IGP office in Mangaluru had committed suicide at room number 315 in Vinayaka Lodge, Madikeri on July 7, 2016. Before taking the extreme step, he, in an interview to a local TV channel, had accused George and the two senior IPS officials of being responsible for his death. On the same evening, he had ended his life.

There was a huge uproar both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly, demanding action against George. Close on the heels of CID giving a clean chit to George, Ganapathy’s wife Pavana and son Nehal showed no inclination to pursue the case. In 2017 Supreme Court disposed of a petition filed by Ganapathy’s brother M K Machaiah, father Kushalappa and ordered the CBI to take over the investigation.

Chennai CBI office Superintendent of Police Sharavanan had registered an FIR against K J George. In the FIR, George, Pranav Mohanthy and Prasad were also named as the first, second and third accused respectively. The CBI officials had visited Madikeri and had carried out investigations at Vinayaka Lodge and at Ganapathy’s Rangasamudra residence. The findings of a judicial inquiry have still not been made public, a source added.

Ganapathy’s brother M K Machaiah said that the family will take the next decision after the entire copy of the CBI investigation report is obtained. “The copy will be available to the advocate in four days. After Ganapathy’s wife and son stepped back from the case, I and my father continued the legal fight,” he said.