K.R. Nagar:  An Independent candidate contesting from K.R. Nagar Assembly Constituency and his driver were seriously injured, when miscreants assaulted them brutally on Wednesday night.

While the critically injured Independent candidate has been identified as Hosahalli Venkatesh, his driver who too suffered serious injuries has been identified as Tilak.

Venkatesh, after holding a meeting of his supporters at his office on Wednesday evening, left to his village Hosahalli in his Innova car with Tilak driving it. When they came near the farm of one Lokesh around midnight, a few people waved their hands signalling them to stop the car.

As soon as the vehicle stopped, the miscreants allegedly threw chilly powder on Venkatesh and Tilak and assaulted them with iron roads. Venkatesh sustained serious injuries on his head and face and Tilak sustained injuries on his neck. Passersby, who saw the two lying unconscious, shifted them to K.R. Nagar General Hospital where they were provided first-aid and later to a private hospital in Mysuru.

As Hosahalli Venkatesh is unable to speak, K.R. Nagar Police, have registered a suo moto case in this regard. It is only after Venkatesh recovers, more details would be known. Venkatesh was a strong contender for the BJP ticket. As he was denied the ticket from the party, he is contesting as an Independent candidate.

Meanwhile K.R. Nagar JD(S) candidate S.R. Mahesh has condemned the assault on Venkatesh. He submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar urging him to arrest the miscreants at the earliest.