Express News Service By

BENGALURU:The Karnataka Government on Tuesday issued a formal order handing over the probe into the death of IAS officer D K Ravi to the CBI.

The order, which was faxed to the Union Government and the CBI headquarters in New Delhi, instructed all the state government agencies, including the state police to hand over all data, information and records related to investigation to the CBI officials as and when requested.

The State Government has asked the CBI to complete its probe within three months. Meanwhile, Ravi’s father-in-law Hanumantharayappa alleged that the CID officials deleted some of the CCTV footage recorded in the digital video recorder (DVR) installed on the premises of the house.

Speaking to reporters, Hanumantharayappa said the investigating officers from the CID had collected CCTV footages on March 18, two days after Ravi’s death.

“They returned the DVR on Monday after taking my signature. I was shocked to find that the footage recorded before 10.30 am on March 16 was deleted after I verified it. When I spoke to one of the CID officials Kumaraswamy about it, he said that files in the DVR were not opening. But I knew the four CCTV cameras installed in the premises of my house had footage of 20 days and all would be saved in it as it was connected to UPS. If the footage of March 15 was available, they could have found Ravi shouting to someone over phone. I suspect that the CID officials deleted it intentionally. I also consulted the technicians to retrieve the deleted footage,” Hanumantharayappa said.

The CID sources said that after the Chief Minister announced that the case was referred to the CBI, the CID officials stopped their investigation. The details of probe done by the CID has been provided to the government in its status report.

“We will also exchange the details of the case with the CBI officials, if they approach us,” said a senior officer.

Meanwhile, social activist T J Abraham on Tuesday approached Madiwala Police and filed a case against Ravi’s wife Kusuma and Hanumantharayappa for alleged abetment of suicide and destruction of evidence. He also alleged that they had a role in Ravi’s mysterious death.

“There are chances that they would destroy the suicide note in which their names could have been mentioned. If the death was a homicide, then all those who were involved with Ravi either in his professional or personal capacity should be treated as murder suspects/accused,” Abraham said.