The Karnataka Lokayukta has reportedly sent a show cause notice to former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to explain how his government failed to act on a prediction by a famous astrologer, who claimed in 2007 that there would a terror attack in Bengaluru.
According to The Hindu, which has a copy of the notice issued by the anti-corruption ombudsman, Kumaraswamy was served the notice on 13 July.
The office of Lokayukta reportedly acted on a complaint filed by a self-proclaimed "international astrologer", TDR Harishchandra Gowda.
Gowda has reportedly claimed that had the state government taken his predictions seriously, the serial blasts on 25 July 2008 could have been avoided.
"I wrote a special letter on February 1, 2007 to the then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy predicting that terrorists would strike in the city. I went to his house over 10 times to discuss the issue. But he did not meet me. He did not even take my letter seriously. The result was a serial bomb blast in 2008," Gowda said in his complaint, according to The Hindu.
As many as nine bombs exploded in the city in July 2008, killing two persons and injuring 20. The notice sent from the office of additional registrar of enquiries (Lokayukta) has asked the leader of Janata Dal-Secular to furnish his reply within two months.
A miffed Kumaraswamy told The Hindu that he was at a loss as to how to reply to the notice. "So, as a Chief Minister, I should have consulted astrologers on matters of national security," he asked wondering what has the office of anti-corruption ombudsman come to.
