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Karnataka minister resigns after furore over cop’s suicide
BANGALORE: Facing mounting pressure, Karnataka minister KJ George on Monday resigned shortly after a court directed police to register an FIR against him and two
BANGALORE: Facing mounting pressure, Karnataka minister KJ George on Monday resigned shortly after a court directed police to register an FIR against him and two top police officers in connection with the alleged suicide of a deputy superintendent, which has kicked up a storm in the state.
George stepped down within hours after a local court at Madikeri in Kodagu district gave the direction on a private criminal complaint filed by the deceased police officer MK Ganapathy’s son Nehal requesting it to direct police to take up investigation against the minister and two officers for allegedly abetting his father’s suicide.
“I have submitted my resignation... it is left to the chief minister (to accept or not),” George, minister for Bengaluru development, said. He said he had taken the step to pave the way for an impartial probe. Asserting that his conscience was “clear”, George said, “I have not harassed anybody... I will come out clean.”
The order by additional judicial magistrate first class Annapurneshwari came as CM Siddaramaiah faced growing clamour to remove George, with the opposition stalling proceedings of both the houses of the legislature, which were abruptly adjourned sine die on Monday much before the July 30 schedule.
Ganapathy’s wife, Pavana, and Nehal had approached court, stating that the police had rejected the complaint lodged by them with the Kushalanagar police on July 10 against George and IPS officials AM Prasad and Pranab Mohanty.
In his complaint, Nehal had said his father had made a “dying declaration” naming George and the two officers and their acts amounted to “abetting the commission of suicide.” Appealing to the court to take cognisance of the offence punishable under IPC section 306 read with Section 34, the complaint had also claimed that the accused were highly placed and influential persons who had prevailed upon police from taking action against them.
