Bangalore riots: Karnataka to approach HC for help on recovery of cost from rioters
The Karnataka government on Monday said that it has decided to approach the state high court for appointing a Claim Commissioner for the purposes of assessment of damages caused to private and public property during last week’ s riots in the city, and also recover the cost from the culprits.
On August 11 and August 12, in the riots following a social media post by a relative of a Congress legislator, three people were killed and more than a hundreds were injured in the DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits.
At a meeting conducted by chief minister B S Yediyurappa with the home minister Basvaraj Bommai and senior police officials, it was decided that a stringent action will be taken against the culprits for violence by invoking of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The chief minister confirmed the developments in a series of tweets.
“We will approach Hon’ble High Court for appointment of Claim Commissioner as per Hon’ble Supreme Court order,” Yediyurappa tweeted.
Briefing media after the meeting home minister Bommai said that a team of three special public prosecutors would be appointed for perusing the case. “The Special Investigation Team (SIT) that has already been formed will also invoke the Goonda Act in cases wherever the provisions so attract,” he added.
Bommai also said the police were investigating whether the rioters had an association with any extremist or terrorist organizations.
Director general of police (DGP), Praveen Sood, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amar Kumar Pandey and chief secretary T M Vijaya Bhasker, as well as other senior officials, were also present in the meeting on Monday.
Bangalore Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant extended Sec 144 in the DJ Hall and KG Halli police station limits till 6 am of August 21.
Police have detained nearly 370 people for the riots. Apart from examining CCTV footage from several places, police are also examining call records. Till now DJ Halli police have registered 49 first information reports (FIRs) against the numerous accused while KG Halli police have registered 19 FIRs.
Meanwhile, Firdous Pasha who was the first to register a complaint against Naveen, the nephew of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy for an alleged blasphemous post, has registered a case against the rioters saying that his Honda Activa scooter was burnt by them. Naveen who was arrested for the alleged derogatory post was produced via video conference in the 11th ACMM (Addtional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate) court and has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
Separately, Murthy met the CM on Monday. Speaking to reporters after meeting the CM, he said that Yediyurappa had promised him to look into his demands for a CBI probe and had assured him of full security to him and his family.
Police on Monday also arrested President of Tipu Sultan Alfath trust, which claims to be an NGO working for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden amongst minorities. K Wajid Pasha in connection with the riots. Wajid, who claims to be a Janta Dal (Secular) worker, was also one of the masterminds of the riots, said people familiar with the matter requesting anonymity. Police have also arrested one more key person Samiuddin who was allegedly involved in the Bangalore riots. According to Bangalore Addtitional Commissioner of Police Sandip Patil the accused Samiuddin was associated with the killers of an RSS worker called Rudresh who was hacked to death in October 2016 and also had links with Al Hind which has been labelled as a terror group.
“We are continuing to investigate and there might be more arrests as we unearth new evidence,” a senior police officer added.