Bengaluru, June 30: Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer T.M. Vijay Bhaskar will be Karnataka's new Chief Secretary, replacing K. Ratna Prabha who retired on superannuation on Saturday, an official notification said.

A 1983-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, Bhaskar, 57, was earlier the Additional Chief Secretary to the state government.

He was the former Bengaluru civic body's administrator.

Prabha, 59, was on a three-month extension since April 1 due to the Assembly poll on May 12 in the southern state.

She was the first Dalit woman to become Chief Secretary in Karnataka and the third woman officer to hold the top administrative post.

On her retirement from office, Prabha in a tweet said: "It is time to hang my boots and cannot believe 37 years of service is over...My USP has been public grievances."

"...I appeal to my fellow officers to make it a habit to meet people and help at least one person a day no matter how busy you are...I have followed this all my life and it has never let me down."

Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said Prabha has been a pillar of strength to women in Karnataka.

"Good officers lead by example. Your zeal to solve people's problems will always be remembered. You are a pillar of strength to many women in Karnataka..," Parameshwara tweeted.

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Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI): Police have opposed the bail plea of the Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan with a knife and injuring him at his home here in January this year, telling a Mumbai court there was "strong evidence" against the accused.

Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory report, police reiterated before the sessions court their earlier claim knife fragments that got lodged near the actor's spine during the attack as well as a part found at the crime spot have matched with the weapon recovered from the accused, Shariful Islam.

These three pieces were part of the same weapon (knife) used to attack the filmstar, the police said in a written response to the accused's plea submitted in the court on Thursday (July 24).

Khan was repeatedly stabbed with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra on January 16 during a robbery attempt.

The 54-year-old actor underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital to remove a piece of knife that got lodged near his spine during the attack. He was discharged from the private hospital after five days.

Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested two days later for allegedly stabbing Khan.

The police, in their response, highlighted that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen residing illegally in India.

If granted bail, there was a possibility that he may flee India and not appear before the court during the trial. The crime committed by the accused is of a "very serious nature, and strong evidence" is available against him, they argued.

In his bail plea, filed through advocate Vipul Dushing, the accused asserted he was innocent and had no prior criminal record.

Investigation into the case has practically concluded with only the filing of a chargesheet pending, the accused contended while seeking bail.

The alleged attacker has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to house trespass, robbery and dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous injury.