DK Ravi's death: Four facts no one is talking about
When the likes of HD Kumaraswamy, leader of the JD(S), who was recently caught on tape allegedly demanding money to nominate another leader to the legislative council and the Karnataka BJP unit, which has amongst its ranks tainted leaders like BS Yeddyurappa, start pretending to be crusaders for the cause of integrity, as they are in the DK Ravi case, it smacks of hypocrisy. It is almost like the devil preaching the scriptures. And it becomes incumbent upon all right minded people like us to take a cold, hard look at the facts of the case. We must separate facts from the fiction of political rhetoric, that often gets amplified by 9pm kangaroo courts, that profess to deliver justice in the name of "the nation".
Here is an attempt to distinguish the wheat from the chaff.
Fiction: DK Ravi was hounded by the Congress government in Karnataka.
Fact: Ravi was transferred only four times in his career and not 28 times as some in the media are falsely claiming. His transfer from Kolar was to a higher and more important role and was not just a routine transfer. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, whose reputation remains unblemished unlike his political rivals', transferred Ravi to vigilance with the commercial taxes department falling under the finance ministry, headed by the CM himself. Siddaramaiah wants to fix leakages and augment state revenue and Ravi, true to his reputation of being an upright, no nonsense officer was doing just that with the CM's active support. Ravi, on many occasions, was appreciated and acknowledged for his good work at government meetings and conferences. His father, Kariyappa, a small farmer, is on record stating that Ravi had told him that the Karnataka government had given him a good house where his parents could shift too. Clearly, such conversations reflect that Ravi had no pressures from the government.
Fiction: The state government has something to hide and hence it is reluctant to order a CBI probe.
Fact: The demand for a CBI probe into the death of DK Ravi seems to be driven more by political calculations than any genuine quest for justice. Before the BJP came to power at the centre, it labelled the CBI as "Congress Bureau of Investigation". Since May 2014, it has made no changes to the CBI despite assuring the country that it would be made autonomous and independent. As a matter of fact, they haven't even appointed the lokpal or filled up the vacancies in the Central Vigilance Commission that oversees CBI's functioning. When it comes to the BJP president Amit Shah, the CBI failed to not only appeal against his discharge but also to put up a proper case against him -on the other hand, the CBI once claimed to have tons of evidence to implicate Shah in the Sohrabuddin and Prajapati fake encounter cases. Admittedly, the CBI has a dismal track record in solving cases and securing convictions too.
If the CBI has been as professional a body as it is being made out to be, why has there been no development in the Sowjanya rape case that was handed over to it by the Karnataka government in November 2013? Why did the BJP, when it was in power in Karnataka in 2012, order a CID probe and not a CBI probe into the murder of forest officer Madan Nayak? Former CM Yeddyurappa's wife died in mysterious circumstances and a Shimoga court had even ordered a fresh probe into it. What prevented the BJP from handing that case over to the CBI?
The fact is that if any questions remain unanswered in the future or the CID is unable to conclude the investigations, the Karnataka government can always transfer the probe to the CBI. It is not a closed chapter ever. To impute motives at this stage seems premature.
Fiction: Top Congress leaders were pressuring Ravi.
Fact: Using DK Ravi's death as a political opportunity, the Opposition has even dragged the name of the Karnataka home minister into the case, suggesting that Ravi had raided Embassy Builders that had links with the minister's businesses. The truth, which can be easily verified, is that the home minister has no business interest or shares in the company. Those who understand the real estate business will agree that most of the properties are in a joint venture with land owners and one of these JVs, which Embassy Builders developed, was Embassy Golf Links - limited to a single property with the home minister's company over a decade ago.
Ravi's father-in-law, Hanumantharayappa, is a Congress leader with close links to minister DK Shivakumar. Anybody who knows and understands Karnataka politics will grasp that if the CM is backing someone, bringing him into his department and giving him a free hand, it would be difficult to threaten him.
A statement made by Ravi's father-in-law is being deliberately being twisted now. He mentioned an MLA from Congress associated with the Confident group, a realty firm against whom Ravi opened a case long back. The fact remains that even in this case, the CM backed his officer and did not entertain the Congress MLA.
In fact, Ravi went after bigwigs across political parties. Some of the companies he served notices to for tax default to the tune of hundreds of crores, are allegedly linked to BJP leaders. Some of them are close to those in power in the central government.
Fiction : The Bangalore Police did an unprofessional job. It was trying to cover up something.
Fact: The Bangalore police commissioner MN Reddi along with his team rushed to DK Ravi's house immediately after getting a call from his relatives. The commissioner formed a team for initial investigation with no less than an officer like DCP Dr Rohini Katoch, a qualified doctor. The media hounded the commissioner for an initial reaction when he said that "prima facie" it looked like a case of suicide. But this was neither an attempt to cover up nor a wild speculation on his part. Preliminary examination shows that the death occoured at 11.30 am. There were no other injuries on Ravi's body and it was a case of death by hanging. There may have not been a suicide note but every case of suicide isn't accompanied by a note.
The fact is that the young officer had spent his last weekend with his wife at his father-in-law's residence. The cops have recorded the statement of the father-in-law and the neighbours about Ravi's relationship with his wife. Clearly, they have some reference points on the basis of which they have made a responsible assessment about an on-going case. A very vital point being that Ravi's last call was allegedly made at 11.20 am to a woman IAS officer of his batch. Data suggests that he called the lady officer 44 times in one hour the day he died. The police is looking into this and gathering details. The CID sleuths are also analysing the three mobile phones and the iPad that belonged to the young officer.
In course of time, the police will examine every aspect and draw up its report. However, in the interim, to term Ravi's death as murder without any evidence, as is being done by some media channels, is wholly irresponsible. Do these channels have any reference points based on circumstantial evidence, forensics or post mortem findings? Such claims, based only on political hunches and innuendoes seem to be driven by a disgusting sense of sensationalism. If the police or the Bangalore commissioner does an unprofessional job, they will have to face the music in court. What is the system by which the same accountability can be demanded of certain media channels? If they get it wrong, will they apologise for all their reckless statements?
Today, as we watch these 9pm debates and their shallow politics play out, mostly based on half-truths and conjectures, one wonders if this is the kind of closure that DK Ravi's family deserves from all of us. An outstanding officer, who had the courage to be upright and seemingly had the backing of the state government and the people to do his job fearlessly, has died. His final memories and moments, which probably led to his death, should not be turned into a spectacle. The Opposition and the TRP-hungry media should not let down an officer who spent his life standing up for us.
Let us not make a mockery of this extremely unfortunate and untimely death. Especially in the name of justice.