Indian Administrative Service officers in Karnataka have signed an online petition addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the death of their colleague DK Ravi. 13.58 lakh people have signed the online campaign so far, undertaken by a voluntary trust Uttishta Bharata.

Additional chief secretary (environment, forest and ecology) M Madana Gopal told that the case should be handed over to the CBI for inquiry even as there are attempts from some quarters to assassinate the character of the IAS officer. As bureaucrats we all want to know what the cause of his death is," Gopal said. "This does not mean we, IAS officers, are against and suspecting the abilities of the state investigative agencies. They are able, but this case is of different genre and should be given to an independent agency," the IAS officer said. IAS officers demand for a CBI intervention has come amid similar demands by opposition parties as well as Ravi's family.

"There are many questions that are arising in this matter as to why the officer took such an extreme step. IAS officer DK Ravi was fighting against vested interests and a CBI inquiry is important to bring out truth," said Bharatiya Janatha party spokesperson Nalin Kohli.

After meeting home minister Rajnath Singh, Gowda, a former chief minister of Karnataka, accused the Congress government in the state of trying to "hush up" the case by making it look like a "suicide".

By Premji