MK Ganapathy, 51, was serving as an Deputy Superintendent of Police in Mangaluru. (File Photo)
Facing Opposition heat, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced a judicial probe into the alleged suicide by a police officer, which has raised a political storm in the state.
As his government came under severe attack over alleged suicide by Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent M K Ganapathy, Siddaramaiah made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, which has been rocked by the issue for the last three days.
Siddaramaiah said the judicial commission would be headed by a retired High Court judge and the report would come out within six months.
He rejected the demand for a probe by CBI, being demanded by BJP which is gunning for the resignation of Minister for Urban Development K J George, named by the deceased police official along with two top police officers for his extreme step.
Mr Ganapathy, 51, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July seven, before to which he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the minister and Inspectors General AM Prasad and Pranab Mohanty would be responsible "if anything happens to me".
Rejecting the charges against him in the Assembly yesterday, Mr George, Minister for Bengaluru Development, had said he was ready to face any punishment if an inquiry finds him guilty and was ready to resign if the Chief Minister asks for it.
The Minister had also claimed that he was being targeted for belonging to minority community.
Government had earlier announced a probe by CID into the incident, which came just three days after the body of another police officer of Chikkamagaluru sub-division Kallappa Handibag, 35, accused of kidnapping a person for ransom, was found hanging in his father-in-law's home at Murgod in Belagavi district.
Before that, Ballari district Kudligi Deputy Superintendent Anupama Shenoy had resigned her post over alleged interference by the then district in charge minister Parameshwar Naik, who was removed in the recent major ministry reshuffle.