Five people were injured after an apparently indiscriminate knife attack during the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in the Sadashivanagar area of Belagavi, Karnataka. The incident unfolded when a procession was underway near the Laxmi Complex, and unidentified assailants struck without warning and fled the scene.
All five victims, residents of Nehru Nagar and identified as Gurunath Vakkund, Sachin Kamble, Lokesh Betageri, Mahesh Vinayak and Nazir Pathan, were rushed to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) for treatment. Two of them sustained serious injuries, while the others are in stable condition under medical care.
City police, including Commissioner Bhushan G. Borase and senior officials, have launched an investigation into the motive and identity of the attackers. It is believed that the perpetrators may have been outsiders, though no arrests have been reported at this stage.
The raid has raised fresh concerns around public safety at cultural events, particularly during major state celebrations. As the city grapples with the unexpected violence, authorities have been urged to increase surveillance and tighten security around mass gatherings. The local police have appealed to the public for any witnesses or footage of the incident to aid in the investigation.
No definitive motive has yet emerged, and officials say they are working to determine whether the attack was targeted or random. Meanwhile, the celebration of the state festival was overshadowed by the incident, prompting calls for better crowd‑management protocols in future.
