Case Against Karnataka Congress Lawmaker For Assaulting Colleague

The police in Karnataka have formed teams to track Congress legislator JN Ganesh, who has been accused of attacking party lawmaker, Anand Singh on Sunday at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru. An assault case was filed against Mr Ganesh, a senior police official told news agency IANS. 

"A First Information Report (FIR) for causing hurt and attempt to murder was filed against Mr Ganesh based on the statements from Anand Singh in the hospital," said the police. 

Mr Singh has told the police that Mr Ganesh beat him with a stick, pushed him to the wall and threatened to kill him. He also claimed he would finish his career, he alleged.

In his complaint, Mr Singh described how after dinner he was going to his room with Mr Ganesh, when he started abusing him for not helping him financially during elections. "He threatened to kill my sister, son and other family members. He pushed me and I fell down. Then he kicked and punched me in the face. He asked for a pistol from his gunman. After that I lost consciousness. Legislators Tukaram, Raghumurty, Ramappa and Tanveer Sait, who were around rescued me. If not for them, I wouldn't have been alive today. When I gained conscious I found myself at the Apollo hospital," Mr Singh said.

Mr Ganesh, who is absconding, has been suspended from the party. "We at Congress have zero tolerance towards violence by any of our representatives. Based on preliminary information gathered about the brawl between lawmakers, state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao has ordered the suspension of Ganesh," the Congress party said.

While Mr Ganesh is a lawmaker from Kampli in Ballari district, Mr Singh is a legislator from Vijayanagara Assembly segment in the same district.

(With inputs from IANS & PTI)