Karnataka CM rejects resignation demand

Bengaluru : Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah rejected the BJP's demand for resignation of minister K J George, booked by CBI over the mysterious death of a police official, saying it was "totally politically motivated".

Strongly backing George a day after the CBI filed the FIR, he said there was "no case warranting resignation" and the minister would cooperate in the investigation by the central agency which took over the case after the Supreme Court directive.

Siddaramaiah also said as the CBI was under the central government, there was no question of influencing it if George remained a minister.

Also raising questions about the CBI and its investigation, he alleged that the BJP was using the agency as a "political tool".

The body of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganapathy (51) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7 last year. Prior to this, he gave an interview to a local TV channel, saying the then home minister George and two senior police officers A M Prasad and Pranov Mohanty would be responsible "if anything happens to me".

The state CID investigated the case and gave a clean chit to George and the two officers in its 'B' (closure) report filed before a court . George had resigned soon after a court directed police to register an FIR against him and two police officers. After his name was cleared by CID, George was re-inducted into the cabinet.

The SC in September allowed the appeal of M K Kushalappa, father of the deceased police officer, filed against the order of the Karnataka High Court, rejecting his plea for a CBI probe into the death case. Besides George, former IGP (Lokayukta) Mohanty and former ADG of police (state intelligence) Prasad have also been named in the CBI FIR.

Siddaramaiah also sought to turn the tables on the BJP, saying 11 central ministers were facing "serious" criminal cases and added, "Let them also resign. Why should they continue?"