The Supreme Court of India.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea against the Karnataka High Court's order, which quashed criminal proceedings against Congress leader and Minister K J George and two retired IPS officers in a case related to alleged abetment to suicide by a Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy on July 7, 2016.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma rejected a special leave petition filed by Sabitha, sister of the deceased officer, against the High Court's order of November 4, 2020.
The court found no merit in the plea against the High Court's order.
Before his death, the officer had, in Television interviews, accused then Bengaluru city development minister K J George and senior officers A M Prasad and Pranob Mohanty of hounding him.
The High Court had then allowed the petitions by senior IPS officers Pronab Mohanty, A M Prasad and Congress leader George and quashed the proceedings.
It has said the evidence collected by the investigating agency, even if accepted in its entirety, does not disclose mens rea or instigation or conspiracy by the petitioners making out the ingredients of the offence under section 306 r/w 34 of IPC.
It held the action initiated against the petitioners-accused was wholly
illegal, perverse and amounting to abuse of process of court.
On September 6, 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered the CBI probe into the death of Ganapathy, acting on a plea by his father M K Kushalappa.
A judicial probe by former HC judge Justice Keshavanarayan was also ordered on demand raised by the opposition leaders in Karnataka Assembly. Kushalappa and his other son have challenged the Karnataka HC's order of October 19, 2016, declining a plea for the CBI probe.
During the probe, the then Minister, George had resigned and two officers were also transferred. However, he was inducted again in the Ministry with a different portfolio.