New Delhi: Violent protests demanding CBI probe over the mysterious death of IAS officer D K Ravi continued on Thursday across Karnataka. Â
In Bengalaru, the protesters of BJP student’s wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad clashed with police after which police resorted to lathicharge.
Meanwhile, the mob clashed with the police in Tumkur district of the state.
The Opposition, BJP and JDS, which are holding an indefinite protest at the assembly, said they will take their demand to Governor Vajubhai Vala. The protesting lawmakers have spent two consecutive nights at the Assembly.
Demands for a CBI probe into the death of IAS officer DK Ravi also disrupted proceedings in Parliament on Thursday.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh said the central government is ready for a CBI inquiry into Ravi’s death if the state government wants.
The home minister said, “I have spoken with the Karnataka chief minister and he has said he will send a detailed report within a couple of days”.
“If the state government wants (CBI probe), then as soon as I get a representation from them, we will be ready for a CBI inquiry” Singh added.
Despite the rising public anger, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said no to the demand for a CBI probe from various quarters.
While an online petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been signed by 13.5 lakh people, including the state’s IAS officers, the lawmakers of opposition BJP and the JDS are on an indefinite dharna at the state assembly.
In the national capital on Thursday, BJP MPs from Karnataka protested outside Parliament demanding a CBI probe into the death of the young IAS officer.
The BJP MPs also slammed the Congress government in the state over the issue.
The protest by BJP MPs was organised near the Gandhi statue before the Parliament session began in the morning.
On Wednesday, Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda, who was also a former chief minister of Karnataka, met the Home Minister about the issue, and echoed his voice for a CBI probe.
The case is currently with the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Karnataka’s Kolar, where Ravi took on the sand mafia, had seen widespread protests after his death, which the police said, was a prima facie case of suicide. The 36-year-old officer was found hanging at his flat in Bengaluru on Monday.Â
Ravi’s father-in-law Hanumantharayappa, at whose home the officer had spent the weekend, alleged that he had told him he was “being targeted” by a particular group.
Last year, Ravi was deputed to the Commercial Tax department. He was investigating real estate majors and big jewellers for alleged tax evasion and had conducted several big raids.
Even, Ravi’s parents, who sat on a dharna on Wednesday after conducting the last rites, have threatened to commit suicide unless justice was done.
35-year-old Ravi, additional commissioner of commercial taxes (Enforcement), was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at his flat in Bangalore on Monday, with police suspecting it to be prima facie a case of suicide.