Bengaluru: The Union Home Ministry is yet to decide on the state government’s request for a CBI probe into the multi-crore single digit lottery scandal, in which several senior police officers are said to be involved.
Top sources in the Home Department told Deccan Chronicle that the state government has already written a letter to the ministry, seeking an investigation into the scam, as its tentacles have spread across two or three states.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced a CBI probe into the scam in the third week of May and shot off an official letter to the ministry. The government has already suspended senior IPS officer Alok Kumar, based on a preliminary inquiry conducted by Criminal Investigation Department.
The sources said it is now left to the premier investigating agency to express whether it is interested in conducting the probe. While the central government is taking time on the lottery scam probe, it had acted swiftly in the case of mysterious death of IAS officer D.K. Ravi a few months ago. “We are not going to send reminders to the ministry,” sources said.
“In fact, state governments cannot pressure the CBI to take up any particular case on priority, as the investigating agency has the prerogative to reject or accept the proposal. We have to wait till we get a reply from the CBI,” sources added.
Home Minister K.J. George said the government has done its duty by sending a request to the Union Home Ministry. “The CBI takes up cases depending on their importance and I don’t know where our request stands. CID sleuths will continue with the investigation till the CBI takes it over. The CID will submit its findings to the CBI and not to the government,” he said.
