MK Ganapathy, 51, was serving as an Deputy Superintendent of Police in Mangaluru. (File Photo)
Days after a senior police officer in Karnataka was found dead after declaring a minister in the Congress government responsible, politics over his death have spiralled.
MK Ganapathy was found, in uniform and with his service revolver fastened to his belt, hanging from the ceiling of a lodge in the Kodagu district last week, about 270 km from the capital of Bengaluru.
Mr Ganapathy, 51, was serving as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Mangaluru. He was being investigated after charges of corruption and fake encounters or extra-judicial killings.
Hours earlier, in an interview to a local TV channel he had purportedly blamed minister KJ George for death.
Mr George has said Mr Ganapathy met him two years ago asking for the inquiry against him to be dropped. At the time, Mr George was Home Minister. He now handles Town Planning.
Under attack from the Opposition for not sending the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah retorted, "Did your government probe any of the cases by CBI?"
Former chief minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa has expressed his disappointment at the "attitude" of the government and demanded the resignation of Mr George.
"I met the Home Minister in Delhi and given the letter to take action on this. And also today, the home minister has come out openly that one Kemppaiah is interfering in almost all the cases," he told NDTV.
Responding to charges, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Karnataka Congress leader, said, "There are lots of different issues over here, so the CID is investigating. And 100 per cent it will be a transparent probe. Government has got nothing to hide. It'll be a very free and fair probe. We should not allow for mindless political speculation."