Namma Karnataka Sene chief Basawaraj arrested for assault on GBA officials during footpath clearance drive; total arrests rises to 11
Basawaraj Padukote, president of Namma Karnataka Sene, has been arrested for allegedly leading an assault on government officials during a footpath clearance drive in Bengaluru. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to 11 following violent resistance against civic staff.
Why it matters
The incident underscores tensions between local activist groups and municipal authorities regarding urban encroachment and the safety of public servants.
The Commercial Street police in Bengaluru have arrested Basawaraj Padukote, the State president of Namma Karnataka Sene, in connection with the assault on government officials during an anti-encroachment drive under the Safe Footpath Campaign in Shivajinagar.
Mr. Padukote, whom the police identified as the main accused, is the 11th person arrested in the case. The police on a Tuesday (July 21, 2026) had arrested 10 people.
According to Bengaluru Police, he allegedly led the attack on officials who were carrying out an encroachment removal drive. The police also said Mr. Padukote has a criminal background.
The latest arrest comes after the Employees’ Association of the Greater Bengaluru Authority threatened to launch a pen-down strike if those responsible for the attack were not arrested. The association had also demanded adequate police protection for civic staff engaged in the ongoing anti-encroachment operations.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in