India, Feb. 16 -- A former Goa MLA collapsed and died at a hotel on Saturday, minutes after he was allegedly assaulted by an auto driver in Karnataka. Authorities have arrested the accused, a police official confirmed.

The deceased, Congress leader Lavoo Mamlatdar, 68, was on a business trip to Belagavi, approximately 120 km from Panaji, when the incident occurred. Before entering politics in 2012, Mamlatdar served as a deputy superintendent of police in Goa.

According to a senior Karnataka police official, the altercation began after Mamlatdar and the auto driver were involved in a minor accident. The dispute escalated, leading to the auto driver physically attacking Mamlatdar multiple times, as seen in CCTV footage obtained from the s...