Bengaluru riots: NIA conducts searches at 43 locations

During the searches, incriminating material relating to the SDPI and the PFI and weapons such as swords, knives, iron rods were seized, NIA said.

Two days after former Bengaluru mayor Sampath Raj was arrested in a case related to communal riots in the city, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out searched at 43 locations, including at four offices of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of Popular Front of India (PFI). The violence took place on August 11.

The riot led to fear and panic in the nearby areas and was intended to cause terror in the society, the NIA said. (ANI file photo)

“The cases pertain to large scale rioting armed with lethal weapons causing injuries to police personnel, destruction of public and private property including DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations buildings and public and private vehicles. The riot led to fear and panic in the nearby areas and was intended to cause terror in the society,” the NIA said in a statement.

So far, 124 accused have been arrested in the D J Halli police station case and 169 in the KG Halli police station case.

During the searches, incriminating material relating to the SDPI and the PFI and weapons such as swords, knives, iron rods were seized, NIA said.

On August 11, an angry mob enraged over an alleged insult to the prophet had burnt down more than 60 vehicles as well as DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations apart from the house of Congress legislator Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. In the subsequent police firing three people were killed. More than 377 people were arrested for the violence and a preliminary charge sheet filed by the police in the case said that intra-party rivalry within Congress was one of the key reasons for riots. Former mayor Sampath Raj and Congress corporator Abdul Zakir were named among the key accused in the charge sheet.