Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaks to NDTV
The Karnataka government has decided to hand over the investigation into a lottery scam in the state from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The move comes after demands from the opposition who charged the government of trying to shield those involved in a scam that is believed to have raked in cash from people in a state where lotteries have been banned since 2007.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press meet on the issue on Tuesday afternoon, and started by saying there was absolutely no need for a CBI inquiry and that the state government was not trying to protect anyone. He criticized members of the opposition party, including former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy - both of the Janata Dal (Secular) and also BJP leaders like former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa for asking for a CBI inquiry when they had previously criticized that investigative body.
He said, "We can't give all cases to CBI - what about the moral of our police?"
Despite this, the government has asked the CBI to look into this case.
"We have done this because of the opposition. There should be no suspicion in the minds of the people," Mr Siddaramaiah told NDTV.
The preliminary report of the CID has already led to the suspension of an IGP rank officer, Alok Kumar. And with other names of senior police officials and politicians being discussed in this context - the government thought it needed to be above suspicion. So even as the Chief Minister said a CBI inquiry was unnecessary, he went ahead and ordered one.