Troubled career, Lokayukta probe drove DySP Ganapathi to suicide?

Mangaluru, Jul 9: The investigation into the sensational suicide case of Mangaluru DySP M K Ganapathi has revealed that one of the main reasons for his anger towards former home minister K J Gorge was that the latter had turned down request of former to revoke his suspension in 2014.

Mr. Ganapathy had a long tenure serving in various capacities in the Bengaluru city police, but it was also marked by controversies with the official accused of being involved in multiple encounters and suspended many times during the last six years.

He had served as an inspector at Yeshwantpur, Rajagopal Nagar and Madiwala police stations and had killed a rowdy sheeter, Prashanth alias Pacchi (20), in September 2010 in an encounter.

With the youth's mother taking up a legal fight saying her son was murdered, Mr. Ganapathy was suspended and a departmental inquiry later exonerated him. He was again suspended in 2014 when he was inspector of Madiwala, when there were allegations that he had misused recovered property.

Due to these multiple inquiries and suspensions, his promotion from inspector of police to deputy superintendent of police was held up for over five years, which had caused him much heartburn, officers close to him in the department said.

One of the two complaints filed against Ganapathi in the Lokayukta by the kin of Prashanth alias Pachi, who was gunned down in Yeshwantpur, was closed recently.

The second complaint was filed by Prashanth's brother Ravindra in 2015. The complaint alleged that Prashanth, who faced over 12 criminal cases, was eliminated in a fake encounter. The complaint had named the then Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Alok Kumar, Ganapathi and a sub-inspector, who was attached to Yeshwantpur police station in 2010.

Sources in the Lokayukta said Ganapathi had visited the Lokayukta office around 10 days ago.

He was seen enquiring about the pending Inquiry against him in connection with the Yeshwantpur encounter. “He had a lot of inquiries pending against him. He was visibly upset and was complaining about senior officials in the department. We consoled him and advised him to remain calm since he was promoted recently,” an official said.

This complaint was forwarded to the Lokayukta SP and later a police inspector for preliminary inquiry. Sources said the inspector had recommended closure of the inquiry stating that the allegations had no reference to any corrupt practices and hence may be referred to the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The complaint, however was not closed and is pending. On Friday, the Lokayukta registrar directed the Lokayukta police to provide the status of the preliminary inquiry.

Meanwhile, sources said Prashanth's relatives had filed a petition with the SHRC and a writ petition before the High Court. A senior police official said Ganapathi was exonerated in the petition filed with the SHRC.

A senior police officer, who knew Ganapathi said, “His colleagues say he was suffering from depression and was under medication. He was also suffering from ailments. All these could have driven him to commit suicide.

“For now, nothing can be said. The CID is conducting the investigation and a clear picture will emerge after they submit a report.”

Fired twice on bed before hanging self

Investigations have also revealed that Ganapathi had fired twice from his service revolver on a bed before hanging himself in the lodge on Thursday.

Both bullets were fired at the bed and the spent bullets were found in the room. The service revolver was found on the floor near his body. CID sleuths, who visited the scene of crime on Friday, have recovered the service revolver and the bullets from the custody of the local police.

Ganapathi had hired an autorickshaw to reach the local channel's office where he gave his interview before taking the extreme step.

As soon as Ganapathi's brother K?M?Thimmaiah, also a DySP, learnt about the interview, he alerted the Madikeri police. They immediately began to search a few hotels and lodges in Madikeri. They reached a hotel near the KSRTC bus stand. When there was no response to their knocking, they peeped through the window and saw Ganapathi hanging.

Police cordoned off the lodge. CID?officials also inspected the room in the evening. In Managluru, staff in the IGP?office said CID officials had locked up Ganapathi's office on Friday morning.

A native of Rangasamudra near Kushalnagar, Ganapathi was a former employee of BEML and joined the police force as a sub-inspector in 1994. He first served at Aldur and Sakarayapatna (both in Chikkamagaluru). His other postings were, Mangaluru, Puttur, Ullal and CID office in?Bengaluru. He was again posted to Ullal, Bantwal, Kadri (in Mangaluru), Lashkar (Mysuru), DIG office (in Bengaluru), Yeshwantpur, Madiwala, IG?office (in Bengaluru), Bengaluru Rural and finally IGP?(Western Range) office in Mangaluru after he was promoted as DySP. He was transferred every two or three years.