Bengaluru violence: NIA arrests ‘key conspirator,’ conducts searches at 30 locations

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the Bengaluru violence case, arrested a “key conspirator” on Thursday for his alleged involvement in the attack on Kadugodanahalli (KG Halli) police stations on August 11.

According to the NIA team camping in the city since it took over the investigation on Tuesday, they have arrested one Sayyed Saddiq Ali, 44, from the city “The accused works as a recovery agent with a bank and was absconding since August 11, immediately after the riots,” NIA officials said.

The team also conducted searches at 30 locations in the city as part of its probe to unearth the alleged conspiracy behind the attacks on KG Halli and Devarajeevanahalli (DJ Halli) police stations. “During searches, airgun, pellets, sharp weapons, iron rods, digital devices, DVRs (Dynamic Vision Resources), and many incriminating documents and material related to SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) and PFI (Popular Front of India) have been seized,” an NIA statement read.

Earlier this week, NIA had stated that “more than 1000 people” had gathered in front of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s residence in Kaval Byrasandra on August 11 following an alleged derogatory post against Muslims uploaded by his nephew Naveen on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the NIA team added, “SDPI State Secretary Muzamil Pasha and other members of SDPI/PFI gathered a mob at the houses of Naveen, MLA Murthy and at the premises of DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations, who vandalised the premises and resorted to arson, creating fear and panic among the masses.”

While the NIA team, headed by an Inspector General (IG)-ranked officer, is camping in Bengaluru, the agency has also re-registered two cases — one each at DJ Halli and Kadugodanahalli (KG Halli) police stations.

Earlier in August, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had announced a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the violence. The state government had approached the Karnataka High Court for the appointment of ‘Claim Commissioner’ to assess the damages to private and public property during the violence that left four people dead.

Indian express