Ex-Congress Bengaluru Mayor accused in riots case is absconding: Police

Bengaluru: Former Mayor and sitting Congress corporator R Sampath Raj, an accused in the case related to the recent mob violence here, is ‘absconding’ after being discharged from a hospital where he underwent treatment for COVID-19, police said on Friday.

Police learnt about the discharge of Raj, accused of instigating the violence here in August when Assistant Commissioner of Police Venugopal visited the hospital on Thursday.

“Yes, he is absconding. We are looking for him,” Venugopal, who is investigating the case, said.

According to police, Venugopal had issued a notice to the hospital authorities on October 7 asking them to inform police before discharging Raj.

However, the hospital had discharged him without informing the police, following which another notice had been issued to its authorities, they said.

Over 3,000 people went on a rampage on August 11 torching the residences of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, his sister and the D J Halli and KG Halli police stations here over an inflammatory social media post by the relative of the legislator.

In its charge sheet filed earlier this month, police had accused Raj of instigating the mob against the MLA to finish him politically.

The police have arrested over 400 people, including the Social Democratic Party of India leader Muzammil Pasha, in connection with the violence in which three people were killed in police firing and one died due to injuries.

The National Investigation Agency is also probing the case simultaneously and has arrested two conspirators.