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NIA arrests 17 SDPI and PFI activists in Bengaluru riots case
NIA said that the investigation so far had revealed that the SDPI leaders including Md Sharieff, president, Bengaluru District, Imran Ahmed, president KG Halli Ward along with other senior leaders like Rubah Waqas, Shabbar Khan and Shaik Ajmal had conducted meetings at Thanissandra and KG Halli wards on the evening of August 11.
The National Investigative Agency which is looking into the riots which happened in Bengaluru on August 11, 2020 following a Facebook post by the nephew of a Congress MLA on Monday said that it had arrested 17 SDPI and PFI activists for their involvement in the riots.
In a press release, NIA said that the investigation so far had revealed that the SDPI leaders including Md Sharieff, president, Bengaluru District, Imran Ahmed, president KG Halli Ward along with other senior leaders like Rubah Waqas, Shabbar Khan and Shaik Ajmal had conducted meetings at Thanissandra and KG Halli wards on the evening of August 11.
The release said that the leaders had therein conspired, mobilised and led the crowd gathered at KG Halli police station to attack police personnel, causing huge damage to public and police station vehicles. It also named others including Abbas, SDPI president of Nagawara ward and his associates Azil Pasha, Irfan Khan and Akbar Khan of mobilising large crowds.
NIA in the release also said that investigation had revealed the use of social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to spread terror among people and mobilise them. In the case so far, 187 accused have been arrested and further investigations are on.
The riots were caused after community members took offence to an alleged derogatory post on their prophet by Naveen the nephew of Congress MLA from Pulikeshinagar, Akhanda Srinivas Murthy. Three people were killed in the subsequent attempt to stem the riots and bring about peace. On September 11, the Yediyurappa government handed over the investigation into the riots to NIA.
