Hassan DC K.S. Lathakumari issues show-cause notice to SP over Devigere Tank idol immersion

What happened

A public feud has broken out between the top two civil administrators in Karnataka’s Hassan district over a failure to enforce an environmental ban on religious idol immersions.

Hassan Deputy Commissioner K.S. Lathakumari has issued a show-cause notice to Superintendent of Police Shubhanvita, demanding to know why the police failed to block the immersion of Ganesha and Gowri idols at Devigere Tank on Saturday.

The notice, issued on Sunday, 4 October 2026, took an unusually sharp tone. It accused the SP of dereliction of duty and "arrogance unbecoming of a government servant," warning that the matter would be referred to higher authorities for disciplinary action if she does not provide an immediate, satisfactory written explanation.

Why was the ban imposed

The dispute stems from a prohibitory order the DC signed on Saturday, 3 October. Acting on requests from the local municipal commissioner and the tahsildar, Lathakumari banned all public idol immersions at the Devigere Tank, which is located near the Neerubagilu Anjaneya temple and falls under the Muzrai Department.

The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Section 24 of the Water Act, aimed to protect the water quality and aquatic life from chemical paints, floral waste, and puja offerings, which the administration said posed a threat to public health.

Despite the official ban, organisers went ahead with the ceremony, and the idols were lowered into the water. According to the DC's subsequent notice, the police had been authorised to arrest or book violators but failed to register any cases or take legal action.

The political fallout

The administrative clash has quickly become politicised. Hassan MLA H.P. Swaroop Prakash came out in support of the SP, criticising the DC for making a sudden, last-minute decision without consulting local representatives.

Swaroop Prakash told reporters that local pandal committees have used the Devigere Tank for six or seven decades and pointed out that several other idols had already been immersed in the same water earlier in the week.

"The DC should have taken the opinions of elected representatives instead of issuing an order only hours before the procession was scheduled to begin," the MLA said, adding that he was also concerned about the cleanliness of the tank but objected to how the ban was handled.

What happens next

The breakdown in communication has raised concerns beyond environmental policy. With the prominent Hasanamba festival approaching, Swaroop Prakash questioned how the district would successfully manage the massive crowds expected to travel to Hassan from across the state.

The festival requires tight, coordinated planning between the police force and the civil administration—a relationship that currently appears to have completely broken down.

Copies of the show-cause notice have been forwarded to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru, the Inspector General of Police for the Southern Range, and the district’s minister-in-charge. The SP has been asked to reply immediately, but she has not yet publicly commented on the notice.