Former Congress Mayor Sampath Raj named accused in Bengaluru riots case

Bengaluru, October 13: The new twist has emerged in the Bengaluru violence case, as the Crime Branch in Bengaluru has named former Congress mayor Sampath Raj as one of the accused in the charge sheet in connection with the large-scale violence that broke out in the DJ Halli and KG Halli areas of Bengaluru in August 2020.

 

The crime branch has filed an 850-page charge sheet on the basis of video and technical evidence. It names 52 persons as the accused including former Mayor Sampath Raj and Zakir Hussain and contains more than 30 eyewitness accounts.

 

According to the official, he was amongst those who had information about the violence and did not share it with the police. He has been questioned once before and summoned yet again by the crime branch. As per sources, the police alleged that Congress leaders along with SDPI instigated the Bengaluru riots.

 

Earlier Crime Branch has arrested the Sampath Raj's personal assistant Arun Kumar who made over 10 calls to SDPI leader Muzammil Pasha and others, who are also accused in the riots case.

 

The NIA has also registered two FIRs in the case under various sections of the IPC, UAPA, the Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

 

On August 11, violence broke out in Bengaluru's DJ Halli and KG Halli areas over an alleged inciting social media post. A mob of more than 1000 people gathered outside the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy demanding immediate action against his relative Naveen. After that, the irate mob then set the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations on fire over suspicion that the relative was in the lockup there. The vandals damaged public and private properties and set many vehicles on fire.

 

Three people were killed in the violence, and nearly 60 police personnel including DCP Bhimashankar Guled were injured in the violence. So far, more than 340 persons have been arrested for arson, stone-pelting, and attacking the police. This includes Naveen and Kaleem Pasha, the husband of Congress corporator Irshad Begum.