Bengaluru: Young IAS officer DK Ravi, posted as Additional Commissioner (Enforcement) of Commercial Tax Department, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his St. John’s Wood apartment in Kormangla, Bengaluru.
The 2009-batch IAS officer was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his ninth-floor flat (Number 903, E block) at Prestige St John’s Wood apartment at Suddguntepalya on Tavarekere Main Road by Kusuma, his wife, at around 6:30 pm. Police Commissioner M N Reddi said: “Prima facie, it looks like a case of suicide. Until the inquest is conducted, we cannot come to a conclusive understanding.”
Ravi, 35, had moved to this official flat, provided by the department, just one-and-a-half months ago. He had married Kusuma, daughter of former Rajarajeshwarinagar CMC president Hanumantharayappa, four years ago.
Ravi, from Tumakuru, used to visit his father-in-law’s house in Mallathalli, off Nagarabhavi, on weekends. This weekend, too, he was at his in-laws’ house, and left for office from there on Monday morning.
At 10:35 am, he left office for his apartment. His driver waited for him at the parking lot from 10:45 am.
The police said it was only in the evening that his wife and other family members grew suspicious when there was no response to repeated calls on Ravi’s cellphone.
Kusuma opened the door to their flat using a duplicate key around 6:30 pm. “His wife and father-in-law found him hanging from the bedroom ceiling fan by a cloth. A special team led by DCP (Southeast) Rohini Katoch Sepat, a qualified medical doctor, will probe the case,” said Reddi.
The young bureaucrat had hit headlines when, as deputy commissioner of Kolar, he initiated a drive to clear encroachments on government lands. Kolar residents had observed a bandh to protest his transfer last November.
From the day he took charge as Additional Commissioner (Enforcement South) on November 14, 2014, Ravi led several raids on various business establishments—especially real-estate majors—for tax evasion.
While there were reports that Ravi was being receiving threats from the underworld over the raids, the police commissioner said Ravi had informed neither the police nor his superiors of any such call.
“He did not contact anyone after 11 am. He was not in the habit of returning to his flat early. Also, he used to have lunch at office. We have not found any suicide note from the apartment. Naturally, his family is not in a position to respond to our queries. Forensic experts have examined the spot and have stated that prima facie it is a case of suicide,” said Reddi.
The IAS officer’s body was shifted to Victoria Hospital where the post-mortem will be conducted on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people from Kolar and Kunigal gathered at the hospital and protested, saying that the corrupt system had led to Ravi’s death.
(Agencies)
