In a shocking incident, Karnataka lokayukta Justice Vishwanatha Shetty was stabbed five times in his office while he was hearing a case on Wednesday afternoon, exposing a major security loophole in the ombudsman’s office. Justice Shetty has been admitted to Mallya Hospital and is reported to be out of danger.
According to preliminary reports, attacker Tej Raj Sharma has been taken into custody by the Vidhana Soudha police. Sharma, a 33-year-old from Tumkur, reportedly went inside the lokayukta’s office claiming he wanted to speak to him.
The lokayukta fell on the ground bleeding. The attack has been caught in the security cameras.
“The man had lodged a complaint with the lokayukta about a corrupt official and later received an acknowledgement that the case has been closed. He came to meet the lokayukta after this. He has carried a large weapon and
had entered the chamber of the lokayukta (whose gunman was outside) and stabbed him there, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
The Chief Minister said the attack seemed like it was an attempt to murder. “We are checking if there was a security lapse. Everything about his background will be investigated,” he added.
The metal detector at the lokyukta’s office is defunct and may be the lapse that allowed Sharma to sneak in the knife used in the stabbing.
The Director General of Police has said the attack was predetermined. “The accused has been booked for attempt to murder,” he said.
Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said he had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Congress leader Brijesh Kalappa said there were multiple CCTV cameras, a metal detector and it was a public place. “How can we say there has been a security breachIJ” he added.
However, former lokayukta Santosh Hegde said, “There has definitely been a security breach”.
With the State preparing to go in for elections, this incident has raised strong political reactions.
Former Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa has condemned the attack.
This incident has become a weapon for the BJP in poll bound Karnataka to attack Congress-led Siddaramaiah Government.
The BJP also demanded the imposition of President’s rule in the State in the wake of the incident saying it had led to breakdown of law and order.
BJP leader Arvind limbavali has said if there was no safety for a lokayukta then it would be difficult to provide security to common man. “law and order has collapsed under the Congress Government. Do we need a better example than thisIJ” he added.
Investigations are on and the police are checking the antecedents of the attacker. Sharma did not live with his mother and two brothers.
Reports confirmed there was no danger to the lokayukta’s life. Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty, a former High Court judge who was named the State’s anti-corruption ombudsman last year, is 74 years old. He had taken charge as the lokayukta in January, 2017.