A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Karnataka Police has submitted its final report in connection with the suicide of a 33-year-old Bengaluru-based lawyer, who had accused CID deputy superintendent of police (DySP) BM Kanakalakshmi of harassment and torture during questioning in an inquiry she attended in November 2024.
The 2,300-page report, which includes statements from witnesses and video evidence, points to misconduct by Crime Investigation Department (CID) DySP Kanakalakshmi.
The lawyer died by suicide at her home in Padmanabha Nagar area of Bengaluru on November 22 last year. In her suicide note, she detailed her alleged harassment and torture by the officer during an inquiry she attended on November 14, 2022 as part of the probe into irregularities in the Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation (KBDC).
The lawyer’s death led to widespread outrage, prompting the Karnataka high court in December 2024 to transfer the investigation from state police to a SIT constituted by the court.
The probe by the SIT showed that the DySP subjected the lawyer to inhumane treatment during questioning, a senior SIT official said. “This includes making her undress, questioning her about carrying cyanide, and demanding a ₹25 lakh bribe. The investigation also revealed that videos of the interrogation, some of which were initially deleted, were retrieved with the help of forensic labs and matched the allegations in Jeeva’s handwritten note,” the officer added.
The SIT, comprising IPS officers Vinayak Verma, Akshay Machindra, and Nisha James, found that nearly 90% of the claims made in the death note were substantiated. “The inquiry revealed clear procedural violations, including fabricated records and manipulated documents, suggesting that the officer allowed personal motives to influence the course of the investigation,” the officer said.
The report also pointed out violations of court orders during the investigation, including improper location of the mahazar (spot inspection). Officials also found that the DySP had visited the business premises of the lawyer a day before her death and publicly humiliated her.
Kanakalakshmi was arrested on March 11 and remanded to judicial custody. She was booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (offence related to bribery by a public servant) and under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The DySP’s suspension was subsequently recommended by the SIT. However, a charge sheet in the case is yet to be filed in court, as government approval is still awaited under service rules for prosecuting a public servant.
The high court, which had directed the formation of the SIT, acknowledged the integrity of the investigation. “The manner in which the investigation was conducted is unique,” the court said on Saturday, while clarifying that its remarks pertain to the conduct of the probe, not its final conclusions.
The SIT has also submitted a copy of its report to the jurisdictional Station House Officer, to be placed before the trial court for further legal proceedings.
The case pertains to the larger probe into alleged irregularities in the KBDC. On April 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former managing director BK Nagarajappa over illegal fund transfers allegedly routed through community agents.
