Corruption allegations: H D Kumaraswamy an accused, trying to demotivate my team, says SIT chief

In a befitting reply to Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s corruption allegations against him, M Chandra Sekhar, who heads a Special Investigation Team at the Lokayukta, has termed the state JD(S) president as an accused who is on bail and is targeting him to demotivate his officers.

"This accused (Kumaraswamy), who is on bail, has done this to create fear in the minds of officers of SIT by attacking me. But an accused, however high and mighty he may be, is an accused,” Chandra Sekhar said in a letter, addressed to his team members, promising them that he would work without fear and bring criminals to justice.

The letter, seen by Deccan Herald, is being widely circulated on social media and slowly brewing into a controversy.

Chandra Sekhar, an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) rank IPS officer, heads the SIT under Lokayukta constituted to probe a case in which Kumaraswamy is an accused.

While the letter itself came as a shock to many officers, who denied having received any message when DH contacted them, Chandra Sekhar’s use of a famous quote left everyone’s jaw dropped.

Quoting playwright George Bernard Shaw, the ADGP said, “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”

In the backdrop of this quote, the ADGP addressed his men and said, “We cannot avoid confronting criminals and accused during discharge of our duty.

“Sometimes the criminals and accused whom we confront throw dirt at us. This must not deter us from discharging our duty. Never lose hope since truth always triumphs. Let us have faith in truth, God, and our law,” he told his team through his letter.

Kumaraswamy, at a press conference recently, claimed that a junior cop had lodged a complaint against Chandra Sekhar for demanding Rs 20 crore, and another person who was harassed by the police officer had filed a detailed complaint before the then Home Secretary Rajneesh Goel.

Confirming to DH that he indeed wrote the letter and had quoted Shaw, Chandra Sekhar said that the time demanded it.

“My men were afraid after allegations against me, which are completely baseless. As an SIT head, I had to instill confidence in my men,” he told DH.

Chandra Sekhar shared with DH that a few officers in his team expressed fear and were afraid about future ramifications. Therefore, he addressed them through an open letter.

In the letter, Chandra Sekhar said that Kumaraswamy had made false and malicious allegations and threats following the SIT seeking sanction to prosecute him from the competent authority.

He asked his team to not get demotivated by such allegations and threats and promised to work without fear or favour and bring to justice all criminals in the case. He reassured his team that he would protect them all from all external influences.

The ADGP then asked the officers to circulate the letter among the staff of SIT. “It is our duty to put the fear of law and justice in the hearts and minds of the accused and criminals,” he said.