Karnataka’s top cop Mollera K Ganapathi (51), The DySP posted at IG office in Mangaluru, killed himself after leaving a suicide note which was found at the site, Kodagu police informed.
In a suicide note, Ganapathi had supposedly blamed a senior police officer and a powerful politician for taking the unfortunate step. The suicide note reportedly alleged that the officer was harassing him by seeking money for giving him a clean chit in a Church-related case which Ganapathi handled seven years ago. During the church attacks, Ganapathi was instrumental in neutralizing a volatile situation at Cordel Church, Kulshekar from escalating into a violent situation. He is a very respected cop among people.
Interestingly, in an interview to a local news channel in Madikeri earlier in the day, Ganapati said that he was being harassed and pressured by higher officers in various cases, and declared that if anything happened to him, former home minister K J George, Lokayukta IGP Pranab Mohanty and former Mangaluru IGP and present ADGP in state intelligence department A M Prasad would be responsible. In the explosive interview, he revealed how transfers were made ‘on the basis of caste’ and how sincere officers were being ‘pressured’ into ‘adjusting’ cases. It is alleged that he was particularly pressured in some of the communal cases and in church attack case during his stint in Mangaluru.
Sources said Ganapati named K J George, Pranab Mohanty and A M Prasad in the death note also, stating that they were harassing him and that when he was suspended during his term in Rajgopal Nagar police station, it was over a ‘trivial’ matter. He reportedly left another death note for his family. Ganapathi, who was on duty in Mangaluru on Thursday, arrived in Madikeri late before checking into a private lodge before taking the extreme step.
Ganapathi hails from Rangasamudra village of Sowmwarpet in Kodagu district. His brother M K Thammaiah is also a DySP posted in Bengaluru.
The police sent the body for a post-mortem.
IGP Western Range Jeji Arun Chakravarthy told TOI that he knew Ganapathi from the time he took over as the range IGP around a month ago. “He was a normal person, who kept to himself and went about his work. He never complained or brought any personal or departmental issues to my notice.”
He was from Valnoor in North Kodagu. During the church attacks, he was instrumental in defusing a volatile situation at Cordel Church, Kulshekar from escalating into a violent situation.
He is known for his promptness and a officer who respected human values, top cops from Karnataka has expressed shock and grief over the Death of M K Ganapathi and has tweeted about the efficiency and contribution made by Ganapathi to his police career. The state of Karnataka today lost a valuable asset and his death clearly hints at the dirty system in the state and how powerful ministers are directly involved in killing prompt officers. While all this unfolded the news on social media went viral trending #justiceforganapathi and people of Karnataka are questioning the government and the ministers mentioned in the suicidal note. Will this be another shut case as of D K Ravi ? Will the justice really be served or as always will the rich and powerful get away ? the people of Karnataka should decide.
