Karnataka Lokayukta Stabbed In Bengaluru Office, Attacker Arrested

Bengaluru:  Karnataka's most senior anti-corruption officer, its Lokayukta, has been hospitalised after he was stabbed repeatedly this morning at his office. Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty, a former high court judge who was named the state's anti-corruption ombudsman last year, was attacked by a man who was at his office to file a complaint. The man has been arrested. The attack was filmed on security cameras.

Justice Shetty, 74, is out of danger and being treated in a private hospital, said state home minister Ramalinga Reddy.

The attacker has been identified as Tejas Sharma. He was in the crowd outside the Lokayukta's office on the ground floor of the Multi-Storey Building. He was allegedly allowed in without a proper check.
 A leader of the state's ruling Congress said the Lokayukta prefers to be accessible to the people and there is hardly any security at his office.

"There was no bar for anybody. Anybody could access him with their grievances, there was no armed guard," said Brijesh Kalappa of the state's ruling Congress, describing the attacker as a "madman".

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"There are multiple CCTV cameras...a metal detector and multiple people watching. How can we say there has been a security breach," Mr Kalappa added.

Former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, however, rejected the view. "There has definitely been a security breach," he said.