Veteran investigative journalist and editor-in-Chief of Kannada investigative news platform The File, G. Mahantesh, reportedly received threat calls after he published reports on a trust linked to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family. Mahantesh had published reports on the Siddhartha Vihara Trust connected with Kharge’s family on September 8 and 9, 2026.
Mahantesh approached the Nandini Layout Police with a complaint regarding the threats of physical harm received by him on calls from unknown numbers. The police refused to register an FIR and instead filed a non-cognizable report (NCR) based on his complaint, thereby downplaying the nature of the crime.
Notably, an NCR is registered for offences listed as ‘non-cognizable’ under the BNSS. The police told Mahantesh to approach the court for further action.
The investigative journalist said that he published the said reports on Facebook accounts named ‘Mahanthesh Bhadravati’ and ‘The-File’. After the reports were published, he received a phone call on his WhatsApp from an anonymous number. The person on the call abused and threatened Mahantesh and asked him to remove the reports. The person threatened him with consequences if he did not remove the reports. Threatening comments were also made on his Facebook post.
The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) condemned the threats to Mahantesh and described them as an attack on press freedom. The KUWJ also expressed concern over the police’s refusal to lodge an FIR on Mahantesh’s complaint and the registration of an NCR. Besides, the union demanded police protection for Mahantesh.
BJP leaders in Karnataka criticised the Karnataka police and called for the registration of an FIR regarding the threats. They also demanded an inquiry into the conduct of police officials who refused to lodge an FIR.
This comes days after the Karnataka High Court heard a case related to irregularities in Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) land allotments to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust. The court did not express any opinion on the merits of the case, but set aside a special court decision allowing itself to conduct an inquiry in the matter.
The High Court remitted the matter and directed that the complainant be granted an opportunity to rectify defects in his affidavit. The case must thereafter be considered in accordance with the procedure prescribed under Section 175 of the BNSS.
