Former Goa MLA dies after assault by Karnataka auto driver; BJP slams Congress over law and order

Mamlatdar, a Congress leader, collapsed at a hotel and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The auto driver has been arrested.

A former Goa MLA collapsed and died at a hotel on Saturday, minutes after he was allegedly assaulted by an auto driver in Karnataka. Authorities have arrested the accused, a police official confirmed.

Congress leader Lavoo Mamlatdar, 68, was on a business trip to Belagavi, approximately 120 km from Panaji, when the incident occurred.

The deceased, Congress leader Lavoo Mamlatdar, 68, was on a business trip to Belagavi, approximately 120 km from Panaji, when the incident occurred. Before entering politics in 2012, Mamlatdar served as a deputy superintendent of police in Goa.

According to a senior Karnataka police official, the altercation began after Mamlatdar and the auto driver were involved in a minor accident. The dispute escalated, leading to the auto driver physically attacking Mamlatdar multiple times, as seen in CCTV footage obtained from the scene.

Following the assault, Mamlatdar proceeded to a hotel, where he collapsed on a staircase. “He was immediately rushed to a government hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival,” the official stated.

Belagavi police have taken the auto driver into custody for further investigation.

Mamlatdar represented the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in the Goa Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2017. In 2022, he joined the Congress and contested the state elections from the Madkai constituency but was unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the BJP strongly criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government, alleging a breakdown of law and order in the state. Belagavi Dakshin MLA and BJP leader Abhay Patil accused the ruling government of failing to curb rising crime in the region.

“Today, a former Goa MLA was murdered over a minor dispute by a group of 10-15 goons associated with Samaj Ghatak Shakti in Belagavi. Over the past six months, the city has witnessed a surge in hooliganism, and law and order have collapsed,” Patil claimed.

He further alleged that illegal activities such as gambling, Matka, and Jugar have increased in the region, negatively affecting the youth. “The Congress government has completely failed to maintain order. I urge immediate and strict action to curb the growing lawlessness in Belagavi,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)