Bengaluru: Man held in ink attack case files complaint against Rakesh Tikait

BENGALURU: A 58-year-old man, who was arrested with three others for allegedly throwing ink on farmer leader Rakesh Singh Tikait during an event in the city in May 2022, has alleged that Tikait had attacked him and others at the same event.
Following a directive from a local court which the Bengalurean had approached, High Grounds police registered an FIR against Tikait and others.
The complainant is HR Shivakumar, resident of Vinayakanagar on Ballari Road. On May 30 last year, police arrested Bharat Shetty, Shivakumar and Pradeep Nayak on charges of smearing Tikait's face with black ink. The incident took place inside Gandhi Bhavan where Tikait, spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union and others, was addressing the media after meeting representatives of various farmers' associations demanding the repeal of farm laws. A few days later, police arrested Shivakumar's younger sister Uma Devi, who was named fourth accused in the case.
Now, based on Shivakumar's complaint, cops have registered an FIR against Tikait, Yudhveer Singh, Anasuya B and 20 others.
"I participated in the farmers' meet chaired by Tikait and others in Gandhi Bhavan on May 30, 2022. A woman, identified as Anasuya, was addressing the gathering in Telugu language, which I opposed. I requested her to speak in Kannada, but she continued in Telugu. I went on the dais and tried to snatch the mic from her. Tikait and Yudhveer Singh directed their followers to attack us. Accordingly, the supporters beat us up with chairs and hands," Shivakumar's plaint read.