JD (S) releases CD of MLA threatening officer

In yet another twist to the controversy surrounding the death of IAS officer D.K. Ravi, Opposition Janata Dal (Secular) has released an audio CD that contains what they claim to be a conversation between Kolar MLA Varthur Prakash and a lower rung official in Kolar in which the former threatens the latter of dire consequences if he does not release sand trucks seized by the district administration, then headed by the deceased officer.

The release of the CD is part of the effort by the Opposition to establish that the deceased officer D.K. Ravi had been under pressure from both illegal sand mining lobby and land mafia which he took on.

The Government has maintained that the death, prima facie, is a suicide for "personal reasons".

In the undated CD released on Saturday, a voice claimed to be that of Mr. Prakash asks the official to release the seized lorries and says that there is no need for the official to worry as the deputy commissioner would be transferred within two days. He says: "It is just a matter of two days and two nights and there is no need to abide by the direction of the deputy commissioner." The deputy commissioner is not named in the conversation.

Mr. Ravi, who served as a Additional Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Enforcement) at the time of his death, had served as Deputy Commissioner of Kolar till October last.

Speaking to

The Hindu , JDS Party President H.D. Kumaraswamy said the government is consistently citing personal problems for the death of Ravi and was not prepared to accept that the deceased official was under tremendous pressure from business interests and politicians.

"The content of the CD prove that Ravi was being haunted and was receiving threats. The government is aware of these facts," he said.

With pressure mounting to hand over the controversial case to the CBI and the high command also recommending it, the Congress Government is expected to announce its decision on Monday.