Right-wing lawyer throws ink at noted writer K S Bhagwan on court premises

In a brazen attack, a right-wing lawyer Meera Raghavendra threw ink on the face of noted Kannada writer and rationalist K S Bhagwan on Thursday (February 4) on a court’s premises in Bengaluru for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments.

The lawyer also posted a video of the incident on her social media account with the slogan, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, which has gone viral.

Advocate Meera Raghavendra reportedly confronted Bhagwan at the Additional Chief Metropolitan Court and shouted at the writer before throwing ink on his face. The writer, an outspoken critic of Hinduism, had appeared before the metropolitan court in connection with a bail hearing, in a case filed by her against him. While the court granted him bail, she threw ink on his face as he walked out of the courtroom.

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In a video, she is heard claiming that she is ready to do anything or even go to jail if required for her attack.

“You are a professor and so old, yet you continue to speak trash about Hinduism and the gods. Are you not ashamed of yourself?” she is heard telling Bhagwan.

A bodyguard, who had accompanied Bhagavan to the court, immediately sprinted him away. The government has provided police security to the writer after his name allegedly appeared on the hit list of those charge-sheeted in the Gauri Lankesh murder case.

Over the years, Bhagwan has frequently received many death threats to his life by Hindu extremist outfits for claiming that Ram was a human being with exceptionally positive attributes and not a deity. And for espousing his views on the Hindu scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and on Mahatma Gandhi.

Appearing on a regional TV channel, the advocate, Meera, justified her actions and said she was not afraid of the consequences. She even questioned the government for giving him security, which she said prevented people like her from attacking him before.

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Meanwhile, Bhagwan has lodged a complaint against her in a city police station. The police registered an FIR against her but she is yet to be arrested. Bhagwan’s lawyer, seeking a detailed investigation into the incident, condemned the attack despite security being available at the spot and said it was premeditated.

Recently, the Karnataka government dropped the plan to purchase his book, Rama Mandira Yaake Beda (Why we don’t need the Ram Temple) to be placed in government libraries. In 2019, a case was booked in Mysuru for this book because it reportedly insulted Hindu religion and religious beliefs, following a complaint from a right-wing group.