Accusing the opposition Congress of wanting to be investigator, prosecutor and judge in the case relating to civil contractor Santosh Patil's death, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday dismissed allegations of interference by his government in the investigation.
Following a political furore that erupted on the issue, senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, against whom police have booked a case of abetment to suicide, submitted his resignation as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister on Friday night.
"Santosh Patil's suicide is being investigated, postmortem has been done, FSL (forensic science laboratory) report will come. On the basis of it, what has happened will be scientifically known," Bommai said in response to Congress' questioning, as to why Eshwarappa has not been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Speaking to reporters, he recalled that during Siddaramaiah-led Congress government's tenure in K.J. George (former Minister) case, the police, despite having video allegations against him and the death note, did not mention his name in the FIR, and there was an attempt to shut the case, and the court had to issue an order, when the deceased police officer M.K. Ganapathy's family approached it.
"But, we have filed FIR [in Santosh Patil case] as per the complaint and accordingly the investigation is on....based on the progress of investigation, further sections may be added, let the investigation happen," he added.
M.K. Ganapathy, who was Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mangaluru, had allegedly killed himself at a lodge in Kodagu on July 7, 2016. In a video message before suicide, he had named the then Home Minister K J George, and two top IPS officers responsible for his extreme step.
The Congress wants to be an investigator, prosecutor and judge in the contractor's suicide case and it cannot happen, Bommai said people are aware how the national party shut several cases while in power.