Bengaluru riot case: NIA court convicts three; sentenced to seven years in jail

Bengaluru, July 23 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday sentenced three accused persons in connection with the 2020 DJ Halli-KG Halli riot case to seven years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.

The convicted individuals are 44-year-old Syed Ikramuddin alias Syed Naveed, a resident of Kushalnagar in K.G. Halli; 46-year-old Syed Asif, a resident of Bharat Mata Layout; and 26-year-old Mohammad Atif, a resident of Basava Nagar.

Syed Ikramuddin was the 14th accused, Syed Asif the 16th, and Mohammad Atif the 18th in the chargesheet. They were convicted of criminal conspiracy for their involvement in setting fire to the KG Halli police station during the riots.

The case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency, which later filed a detailed chargesheet. The accused were presented before the court through video conference.

Special Public Prosecutor for the NIA, P. Prasanna Kumar, stated: "The police are tasked with maintaining law and order as well as public order. When such custodians are attacked, public confidence in the efficiency of the police is likely to be shaken, thereby disturbing public order."

"We, the people, feel secure when we have a robust police force. By torching the KG Halli Police Station, the accused shook the public's confidence and sense of security," he added.

He further said the judgment not only restores public confidence in the police force but also vindicates the central government's action in declaring the Popular Front of India (PFI) an unlawful association.

It can be recalled that the incident occurred on August 11, 2020. A group of 25 to 30 individuals had gathered in front of the KG Halli Police Station, shouting slogans and demanding the arrest of Naveen, the nephew of former MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, for allegedly posting a derogatory message insulting Prophet Mohammad.

Led by Syed Ikramuddin and others, the mob entered the KG Halli Police Station demanding the registration of a case against Naveen. The gathering at the station grew steadily and turned violent, especially in the wake of the already escalating violence in the neighbouring DJ Halli Police Station area.

Despite the curfew, the unlawfully assembled mob became unruly and intensified their protest by shouting slogans and engaging in violent activities. They began pelting stones at the KG Halli Police Station and attacked police personnel as well as members of the public who were helping to pacify the crowd. The mob used stones, iron rods, wooden sticks, improvised petrol bombs, and other weapons.

The violence escalated as the mob vandalised and set fire to government and private vehicles parked near the police station. They also demanded that Naveen be handed over to them, threatening to kill him.

Armed with weapons and bottles filled with petrol, the mob stormed the police station premises and continued their attack on police personnel and others present.

The situation turned terrifying as the mob created a climate of fear and chaos. The police responded with a lathi charge and fired tear gas to disperse the unruly crowd and bring the situation under control. However, the mob grew even more aggressive, attacking police personnel and setting fire to both public and private properties on a large scale, resulting in injuries to several officers.

Subsequently, the police opened fire with official weapons. One individual from the mob sustained injuries during the firing and later died at the hospital. Following this, the mob gradually dispersed from the KG Halli Police Station area.

During the incident, the rioters damaged a total of 12 vehicles, including government and private vehicles. Of these, five two-wheelers and one Innova car were completely burnt, while six other vehicles were damaged.

The police named 199 persons as accused in the FIR. Of them, 187 were arrested, four surrendered, and one accused died. The police later submitted a chargesheet against 138 individuals.

--IANS

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