K.J. George to be reinstated as Karnataka minister
K.J. George was forced to resign over his alleged role in the suicide of DSP M.K.Ganapathy in July
Bengaluru: K.J.George, the legislator from Sarvajna Nagar in Bengaluru, will be reinstated as a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka, two people familiar with the development said on Thursday.
George, who served as the home minister and then as Bengaluru district in-charge minister, was forced to resign over his alleged role in the suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) M.K.Ganapathy in July.
Siddaramaiah, who was in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Cauvery issue and the special session of both houses of Karnataka assembly with the party high command, also got the clearance to reinstate George’s induction into the ministry, one of the two persons mentioned above told Mint on Thursday.
The decision was made after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cleared George of having any role in Ganapathy’s suicide in its closure report submitted to the judicial magistrate court in Madikeri, The Hindu reported on 18 September.
“The chief minister will take a decision on when to reinstate George," the second person cited above said, requesting not to be named since the decision is not official as yet.
Also Read: Political updates: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in a bind over Cauvery dispute
George was not immediately available for comment.
On 7 July, hours before he took his own life, Ganapathy had given an interview to local Kodagu TV channel naming George and two senior police officials—IGP Pronab Mohanty and ADGP A.M. Prasad—of harassing him over the years.
Activists and political parties had resorted to large-scale protests demanding the ouster of George and the two officials.
George had to resign from his post after a local court in Madikeri, Kodagu district, gave the direction to register a first information report after the late DSP’s son Nehal lodged a complaint against the minister.
In his complaint, Nehal had said his father had made a “dying declaration" naming George and the two officers and their acts amounted to “abetting the commission of suicide", Mint reported on 18 July.
However, the government is unlikely to make the reinstatement proposal in the special session convened on Friday, the second person cited above said, while adding that both houses will discuss only the Cauvery issue.
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