Bengaluru: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George, Deputy Director General-Regional Office (UIDAI) Pronab Mohanty and State Intelligence Chief A.M. Prasad, charging them for abetting the suicide of Dy.SP M.K. Ganapathy in a Madikeri lodge on July 7, 2016.

Ganapathy, then Dy.SP at Mangaluru, in an interview to a local TV channel, had accused the then Home Minister K.J. George and IPS officers Pronab Mohanty and A.M. Prasad of harassing him.

According to the CBI FIR, George is accused No.1, while Mohanty and Prasad are accused 2 and 3 respectively. The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe on a petition filed by Ganapathy’s brother M.K. Kushalappa.

The State Government had ordered a CID (Criminal Investigation Department) probe into the incident. As the CID probe began, George resigned and the two IPS officers were transferred.

George who had resigned as the Home Minister, was later re-inducted into the Ministry with Bengaluru Development portfolio.

The CID later closed the case, stating that there was no evidence of harassment by the Minister and the two Police Officers.

In the petition filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka HC order declining a CBI probe, Kushalappa’s advocate had stated that the CID filed the closure report without awaiting the forensic report.

Yeddyurappa demands George’s resignation

Even as the CBI registered FIR against Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George, State BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa had demanded the resignation of the Minister. Addressing a press meet at the BJP office in Bengaluru on Thursday evening, Yeddyurappa alleged that the continuance for the Minister may lead to destruction of evidence in Dy.SP M.K. Ganapathy’s case.

He urged CM Siddharamaiah to sack K.J. George, if the Minister failed to resign on his own.