HC sets up unique SIT to probe suicide of businesswoman, alleged torture by police

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Kanakalakshmi B. M., who had challenged registration of FIR against her for abetment to suicide.
| Photo Credit: SREENIVASA MURTHY V

In a unique order, the High Court of Karnataka set up a Special Investigating Team (SIT) comprising officers from both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the State Police Department to probe the death of a businesswoman. The deceased was an accused in an alleged ₹196 crore scam in the Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation. She committed suicide on November 22 allegedly due to torture and demand for bribe by the investigating officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) during interrogation.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Kanakalakshmi B. M., who had challenged the registration of First Information Report (FIR) against her for abetment to suicide under Section 108 of BNS and under the Prevention of Corruption case.

Also, the court rejected the plea of Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru, which had sought transfer of the investigation into the case registered against Ms. Kanakalakshmi to the CBI for an impartial enquiry.

The SIT would be headed by Vinayak Varma, Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau of the CBI, Bengaluru. The other members are Akshay M. Hakay, Deputy Commandant General, Home Guards, Bengaluru, and Nisha James, Superintendent of Police, Internal Security Division, Bengaluru.

The court directed the SIT to take over the investigation immediately and submit the probe report to the court within three months.

Jeeva S., proprietor of Anika Enterprises, who was arraigned as accused number 8 in the Bhovi corporation scam case, had committed suicide on November 22. In a 13-page note, she had alleged torture and demand of a ₹25 lakh bribe by a police officer.

The court has, for the present, directed the SIT to probe the allegations of torture against Kanakalakshmi while telling the SIT to examine the materials available in connection with the allegation of demand for ₹25 lakh, and proceed under the PC Act as per the law depending upon the material available during the probe as prior sanction from competent authority is essential for commencing a probe under the PC Act.