Bangalore: The state assembly saw heated exchanges on Friday as the BJP demanded a CBI probe into the circumstances leading to the death of sub-inspector Mallikarjun Bande, killed in an encounter with rowdy Munna in Gulbarga.
Alleging that Western Range IGP, Wazir Ahamed’s role in the entire affair was suspicious, leader of the Opposition, Jagadish Shettar said there were rumours the SI had been killed by a police bullet and not by the gangster as claimed. He recalled that Bande had complained of harassment after he arrested Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi, when serving as an SI in Humnabad.
Joining the clamour for a CBI inquiry, Basavaraj Bommai wondered how the CID could conduct a fair inquiry when an IGP was under suspicion. He wanted the government to clarify whether the bullet that killed Bande belonged to the police or not.
Govind Karjol said it was strange that Wazir Ahamed had asked Bande to conduct the operation to nab Munna and not a jurisdictional officer. While home minister K.J. George assured that all aspects would be covered by the CID, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened to say that the BJP, which always spoke ill of the CBI, had no right to demand that it conduct this inquiry now.
Following pandemonium, Kagodu Thimmappa adjourned the House till Monday, but not before he had expressed his displeasure. “The House should know why Bande was sent to the spot instead of the jurisdictional officer. Also, the IGP’s statement looks like a political one, which cannot be tolerated'', he asserted.
