DK Ravi case: Lessons that should not be forgotten

I must compliment the Karnataka Chief Minister for yielding to the demand of the family of DK Ravi, the young IAS officer who hanged himself last week at his house in Bengaluru. During his short stint in the service, he had won admiration for his drive against the mafia, especially in the real-estate world. He was believed to have taken on big sharks and, therefore, antagonised several in the political firmament who had links with the former. Hence, the public and Ravi's own family suspected foul play in his  death. They were convinced that he had either been murdered — notwithstanding the fact he was found hanging from the ceiling — or had been driven to commit suicide by those who were affected by his bold administrative actions.

Popular outrage was compounded by the undiplomatic statement, within hours of the incident, by the city police commissioner that, prima facie this appeared to be a case of suicide. The endorsement of his statement, first by the state home minister, and subsequently by the Chief Minister, only made matters worse. The opposition parties and the public looked upon this unfortunate position taken by the establishment, even before the investigation had begun, as an attempt at a cover-up. This triggered a demand for handing over the investigation to the CBI. After taking a stubborn stand that only the CID would conduct the probe, sensing the mood of the public, and after possibly receiving a directive from the Congress high command, the state government has now ordered a CBI inquiry.

There are several issues raised by the sad end to the life of a promising IAS officer. There is a general feeling in the country that young officers with a zeal for reform are penalised if they act against the underworld. And if they cross certain limits they are likely to be liquidated by the deadly combination of the mafia and some in the political class who had derive huge benefits from the former. India's administrative history is replete with such instances. This is not an unjustified impression, but the suspected unholy nexus can hardly be proved in legal forums. Whatever be the ultimate findings in the case, incidents like this have a profound impact on the morale of young officers.
Secondly, investigative agencies in the state police have suffered a total loss of credibility. This is an unbelievable decline from what prevailed until about two to three decades after Independence. Neither the state CID nor the vigilance directorate are not in the least free when the subject of investigation has something to do with the reputation of the state government or the misconduct of a ruling party-man. This explains the growing demand for a CBI inquiry. It is an entirely different issue that the CBI itself has lately lost a little of its sheen due to poor leadership. If the CBI loses more of its credibility, we will be left with hardly any outfit that can come to the rescue of the ordinary citizen who has nowhere else to go for redress.

This unfortunate situation can at least be partially remedied with greater political enlightenment. We don't know why a ruling party erroneously believes that it would be in power eternally, and that an agency compromised by it could turn against it whenever there is a shift in power. It is, therefore, in the interests of every party to stop meddling in investigations and foster the growth of professional outfits, which will uphold the law and ensure justice to victims of crime. Unless we see this healthy change in perceptions within the political hierarchy, we will continue to be burdened with politicised and unprofessional agencies that would make a mockery of criminal investigation. 

The writer is a former CBI Director