D K Ravi death: CBI probe finds he killed self, closure report soon

mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, Oct 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case of unnatural death of 2009 batch IAS officer D K Ravi, is set to file a closure report or a ‘B’ report after concluding the case to be one of suicide.

Sources familiar with the probe said the closure report is awaiting approval of CBI headquarters before it is filed before a sub divisional magistrate. “A report is set to be filed under Section 174 of the CrPC. It was ready a week ago. There is not going to be registration of any FIR for prosecution of anybody in the case,’’ CBI sources said.

 

“We have our own processes of scrutiny and a final decision of the headquarters based on all the reports is awaited,’’ another CBI officer said.

D K Ravi (34), a popular IAS officer of Kannada origin who was working as additional commissioner of Commercial Tax (Enforcement) in Bengaluru, was found hanging at his official residence on March 16 this year. The CBI was entrusted with the investigation on March 23 by the state government amid allegations that the officer was murdered for adverse positions he took against realtors and the sand mafia — as a commercial tax officer and earlier as deputy commissioner of Kolar district.

The CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry on April 16 on the request of the state government. Over the past five months, the CBI contacted experts at Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences to confirm the original findings that indicated there was no foul play in Ravi’s death. His postmortem had concluded that death was caused by “asphyxiation due to hanging’’.

A viscera test at CFSL also ruled out the presence of any toxic substances in the body, reasserting that Ravi committed suicide, sources said.

The CBI also probed his professional and personal lives for evidence that could suggest involvement of any form of external coercion leading to his death. Initial investigations had indicated that Ravi had communicated his intent to take his life in a WhatsApp message to a woman IAS batchmate.

The state government had initially told the Karnataka High Court that a failed relationship with his batchmate was a key factor in Ravi’s death. This was surmised on the basis of alleged communication records including messages and phone calls between the two.

The CBI in the course of its investigations also found that Ravi was involved in a land deal where he was associated with a real estate company R and H Properties with a friend named Hari Krishna and was trying to acquire 50 acres of land with money collected from friends and family. Ravi’s wife Kusuma and his batchmate’s husband were among the investors.