CBI probe shows Ravi ventured into real estate business, made unsuccessful start

D K Ravi

Probing the death of IAS officer D K Ravi in Bangalore in March, the CBI has concluded that he committed suicide by hanging himself. The agency claims its investigation has shown Ravi was involved in an “improper attempt” to acquire around 50 acres of land for a real estate project that he and a friend had embarked on with investments from different quarters including his wife’s family and IAS batchmates.

The CBI, looking at the circumstances that may have led to the suicide apart from a failed relationship with an IAS batchmate to whom Ravi sent a final WhatsApp message, went through forensic evidence and questioned doctors involved in the post-mortem proceedings to come to the conclusion that it is “as apparent, a case of suicide”.

The death of 34-year-old Ravi on March 16 rocked Karnataka. The Congress government in the state, under pressure from opposition parties and conspiracy theories that the officer was murdered for standing up to the real estate lobby in Bangalore, ordered a CBI probe a week later.

The agency, which registered a preliminary enquiry on April 16, claims its findings show Ravi and friend Hari K were involved with a real estate company R and H Properties which was attempting to acquire 50 acres of land belonging to SC/ ST communities in Chikaballapur region with money collected from friends and family.

CBI sources said the association of Ravi with R and H Properties first emerged when the IAS batchmate to whom he sent a final message told police that her husband, Sudhir Reddy, had invested Rs 10 lakh in R and H Properties at the behest of Ravi who claimed he was buying land to start a real estate project.

Ravi’s name does not, however, figure in the firm or its bank accounts as a partner or joint account holder.

During the investigation of R and H Properties, Ravi’s friend Hari said the officer had ventured into a deal to buy 50 acres of land belonging to the SC/ST community, CBI sources said. The firm paid compensation to farmers for the deal but the acquisition was not cleared since acquisition of SC/ST land is prohibited under law, sources said.

The failure to acquire land resulted in Ravi running to several people for help to recover money paid as compensation for land, sources said quoting Ravi’s partner. Pressure was also building from investors in the firm for the return of money, the sources said.

In the days before his death, Ravi told Hari to withdraw Rs 2 crore from the R and H Properties account and give it to his wife Kusuma, CBI sources said.

CBI sources said the account of R and H Developers had deposits of Rs 5.42 crore and withdrawals of Rs 5.42 crore over a two-year period including a September 14, 2014 deposit of Rs 10 lakh by Ravi’s IAS batchmate and several cash deposits of Rs 5 lakh each.

Source:: Indian Express