Karnataka Lokayukta stabbed "multiple times" in Bengaluru office; one arrested
In an extremely shocking incident, Karnataka's senior-most anti-corruption ombudsman, Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty was today stabbed repeatedly in his office. The former HC judge was named the state's lokayukta last year. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital and is out of danger, though he suffered injuries in his chest and stomach. Reportedly, the attacker was a complainant who has now been arrested.
Who is Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty?
Justice Shetty earlier served as Karnataka High Court judge from 1999 to 2004. He was appointed lokayukta in January'17 after the post had been vacant for a year. His predecessor Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao had resigned after an alleged bribery scandal. As lokayukta, Shetty is a state-level independent watch-dog. His duty is to receive and act on complaints against public servants' corruption.
How did the incident unfold?
The attacker, identified as Tejas Sharma, was in the crowd outside the Lokayukta's office on the ground floor. Apparently, he was allowed in the premises without a proper check. The incident reportedly occurred at 1:50pm, when the lokayukta was looking through some case files.
Meanwhile, state's ruling Congress blamed Shetty's accessibility
Congress leader Brijesh Kalappa said, "There was no bar on anybody. Everyone could access him with their grievances. There was no armed guard." He claimed there are "multiple CCTV cameras and a metal detector." He further declared this wasn't a security breach. Former Lokayukta Santosh, however, contended that this is a security breach. CM Siddaramaiah and other ministers visited the hospital under heavy security.
