Bengaluru riots: NIA conducts searches at 43 locations, including at SDPI offices

Bengaluru: The NIA conducted searches here on Wednesday, including at offices of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), in connection with the rioting and violent attacks on police stations in the city in August, an official said.

The searches were carried out at 43 locations in Bengaluru, including at four SDPI offices, in relation to the rioting and violent attacks on the D J Halli and K G Halli police stations in Bengaluru on August 11, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said.

The cases pertain to large-scale rioting, causing injuries to police personnel, destruction of public and private property, including the police stations” buildings and public and private vehicles, he said, adding that the rioters were armed with lethal weapons.

The riots triggered fear and panic in the nearby areas and were intended to cause terror in the society, the NIA spokesperson said.

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

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

Over 3,000 people went on a rampage in Bengaluru on August 11, torching the residences of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, his sister Jayanthi and the two police stations.

The violence broke out over an alleged inflammatory social media post by the nephew of the Congress MLA.

Three persons were killed in police firing while another died due to abdominal injuries suffered in the violence.

Recently, former Congress mayor R Sampath Raj, who was wanted in the Bengaluru violence case, was arrested.

Further investigation is underway.