Bengaluru violence: Sampath Raj sent to 2-day police custody

Bengaluru: Former Congress mayor R Sampath Raj who was arrested for instigating violence in parts of Bengaluru on August 11 was produced before a local court in Bengaluru on Tuesday and has been sent to two-day police custody, Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials confirmed.

Sampath Raj was interrogated for hours by CCB officials in their headquarters on Tuesday, after he was arrested the previous night.

Raj wanted in connection with the cases related to the violence that rocked parts of the city on August 11 had escaped from a private hospital where he got admitted for COVID-19.

Around 3,000 to 4,000 people went on a rampage, setting ablaze the houses of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and his sister over an alleged inflammatory social media post by his nephew.

The mob also torched Devara Jeevanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police stations over suspicion that the nephew was present there. Three people were killed in police firing while another person died due to abdominal injuries suffered in the violence.

In the charge sheet, Raj has been charged with hatching a conspiracy with the violence to finish off the MLA politically in connivance with Zakir and a few others. Raj and Zakir were still at large and a hunt was on to nab them, police had said.