Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleges Hassan DC retained her post by paying bribe district minister

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that Hassan Deputy Commissioner K.S. Latha Kumari retained her post by paying a bribe of ₹75 lakh to Excise Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, who is also the district minister for Hassan. Kumaraswamy made the allegations during a press briefing in Hassan after visiting the Hassanamba temple on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

He claimed to have received a WhatsApp conversation, purportedly between an unidentified person and Shashikiran, the personal assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, discussing the need for permission to establish three stone crushers. In exchange for clearance, the conversation reportedly demanded a payment of ₹60 lakh, with the person on the other end listing individuals who required a share of the money.

According to Kumaraswamy, the conversation also mentioned that the Excise Minister wanted to transfer the incumbent Deputy Commissioner from Hassan. However, Kumari allegedly persuaded the Minister by paying the bribe through Arsikere Tahsildar Santosh. The script of the alleged conversation was circulated to journalists. Kumaraswamy demanded an investigation and requested the police to seize the mobile phone of the individual involved for further examination.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also visited the temple, defended Kumari, stating that she had been doing a good job but was being accused due to her refusal to comply with the demands. Kumari herself denied the allegations, insisting that she had done nothing illegal and criticizing the circulation of "false and baseless information." She threatened to file a complaint with the cyber police and vowed to bring out the truth.