Bangalore, March 17: A CID probe has been ordered into the death of young IAS officer D.K. Ravi, who was found hanging from the ceiling in his Bangalore home yesterday, but the Opposition insisted that only a CBI probe would bring out the truth after the home minister told the Assembly the officer had "committed suicide for personal reasons".
"What made the police brush it off as suicide within just hours (of the death being reported)?" asked leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar, as the state witnessed a public outpouring of grief that is usually reserved for popular politicians or celebrities.
Ravi, 36, who had cracked down on illegal sand mining at his previous posting as deputy commissioner in Kolar and whose abrupt transfer from the district last October had triggered sustained protests, was laid to rest this evening in his village in Tumkur in the presence of his father Cariappa, a farmer, and mother Gowramma.
Thousands of mourners had lined the road through which the hearse drove to Huliyuru Durga village, in Kunigal taluk of Tumkur district, from Bangalore. On the way, it had stopped at his wife Kusuma's family home in Nagarbhavi on the outskirts of the city, where the couple usually spent their weekends. The body was kept for public viewing and thousands of ordinary citizens came to pay their respects.
In Kunigal, 70km from Bangalore, all business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. Fearing protests over the popular officer's mysterious death, the state education department had postponed the higher secondary exams scheduled for today.
Both Houses of the state legislature broke into pandemonium after home minister K.J. George's statement in the Assembly. When pressed for an explanation on what "personal reasons" might have driven the officer to death, George evaded a reply and said the investigation report would be submitted in 15 days.
Senior BJP member V. Somanna alleged in the legislative council that Ravi, an additional commissioner of commercial tax, was pressured to "drastically scale down" the Rs 40-crore tax dues of a real estate firm owned by a cabinet minister. Without naming the minister, Somanna alleged that Ravi was forced to slash the tax dues to Rs 40 lakh. "He was put under a lot of pressure to do this," the BJP leader alleged.
Somanna's BJP colleague Suresh Kumar said Ravi had exposed tax frauds and collected dues of Rs 129 crore since he was transferred to the commercial tax department in October 2014.
Ravi's father-in-law said the officer had spoken to him about work pressure. "He had said once why good people have no place in the system and only bad people thrive," Hanumantharayappa said, between sobs. "But he had firmly said to me, 'I don't bend before anyone since I'm ready to be transferred anywhere'."
Kolar, where the 2009 batch officer had made his mark but was transferred before he could complete his term, observed a total shutdown with even highways blocked for traffic. Thousands marched in Kolar town, 60km from here, carrying pictures of Ravi. The officer became popular because he took on the much-feared sand mafia and land sharks and was seen as receptive to people's needs. A group of mourners turned their anger at the house of Kolar MLA Varthur Prakash, throwing stones at the building. But police intervened and dispersed the mob before any damage was done.
In Bangalore, too, ordinary citizens and members of various local organisations marched to the Town Hall and sat in dharna to demand a CBI inquiry into the "mysterious" death of the gutsy officer.
"We know very well he was a bold officer and therefore it's natural for people to feel he won't commit suicide," Bangalore police commissioner M.N. Reddi said. "But forensically, medically and examination of the situation point towards prima facie understanding of a suicide." The commissioner promised "no single angle will be left untouched" in the investigation.
Chief minister P.C. Siddaramaiah said he had full faith in the police. "I have made it clear that we are giving the case to our CID and that our officers are efficient and capable of investigating," he said.
Ravi had left for home at 11.15am yesterday in his official car after spending just an hour at work. After Kusuma, a college lecturer, failed to reach him on the phone, she arrived at the Koramangala apartment around 6pm with her father and entered using a duplicate key. They found him dead.
