Husband of Ravi’s friend gets stay on interim report by govt

Preliminary investigations by the Bangalore police and CID show that Ravi had sent a text message to Sindhuri indicating he was going to take his own life.

In A special sitting Sunday, the Karnataka High Court passed an interim order restraining the Congress government in the state from “making or politicising” an interim report on the investigations into the unnatural death of IAS officer D K Ravi.

The restraining order was passed on a plea filed by Sugandar Reddy, the husband of IAS officer and Ravi’s batchmate Rohini Sindhuri, who has emerged as a key individual in the investigation into the death.

Preliminary investigations by the Bangalore police and CID show that Ravi had sent a text message to Sindhuri indicating he was going to take his own life. She was the last person he was in touch with before his death.

The CID has been preparing to present Ravi’s text message to Sindhuri as a suicide note, and the state government was planning to present the report in the state legislature on Monday.

Sindhuri has also given statements to the police indicating she was being harassed by Ravi.

Justice Abdul Nazeer held a special sitting at his residence on Sunday on the directions of the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. Appearing for Sindhuri’s husband, senior advocate Sajjan Poovayya pleaded that there was no provision for presentation of an interim report that arrives at a post haste conclusion. The advocates also cited a Supreme Court order in a case involving Ratan Tata where it was ruled that private information could not be disclosed.

In his interim order, Justice Nazeer restrained the state government from publicising any interim probe by the CID. “The respondents are restrained from making or politicising any interim report or making any public statement pertaining to the investigation being conducted with respect to the unnatural death of late D K Ravi… pending disposal of this writ petition. This however will not prevent the respondents from continuing with the investigation,” said the order.

The matter will now come up in regular course before the high court on Monday.

While initial investigations have indicated that the 36-year-old IAS officer died due to suicide, the death has created a furore in the state, with the Opposition seeking a CBI inquiry and the state government agreeing so far only to a CID probe. Ravi had gained huge popularity in the state for his work.

The BJP and JDS are planning protest marches in Bangalore on Monday morning demanding that the Siddaramaiah government hand over the case to the CBI at the earliest.

Source:: Indian Express