‘Heat of the moment’: Karnataka MLA’s daughter sorry for slapping cop at temple

BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda’s daughter Aishwarya Gowda, who allegedly slapped a police officer at a Mandya temple last month, apologised on Tuesday, days after the Karnataka High Court made a public apology a precondition for considering her anticipatory bail plea in the case.

In a 43-second video posted on social media, the MLA’s daughter apologised to Savitha B Patil, the sub-inspector whom she allegedly assaulted on August 12 for not allowing her into the Aarathi Ukkada temple’s sanctum sanctorum by considering her as a VIP.

She said the incident happened "in the heat of the moment" and that she never intended to hurt the officer. Aishwarya, who is married to Assistant Commissioner of Police K C Goutham, approached the high court after an additional district and sessions court in Srirangapatna rejected her plea for anticipatory bail.

Following the high court’s direction, she expressed deep regret over the incident. Earlier, Gowda, MLA for Tumakuru Rural, apologised, acknowledging that his daughter might have violated temple protocol. “I will not deny that the sub-inspector may have abused her or put pressure on her.

But my daughter also answered back, and that is when the argument started. I do not know what happened after that. I have not seen the video, so I cannot say whether she slapped the sub-inspector or not,” he said. Gowda also filed a police complaint in this regard, but no FIR was registered.

The officer is posted at Mandya women's police station.