Bengaluru riots: NIA raids 4 SDPI offices among 43 locations

BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted widespread searches at 43 locations in Bengaluru city including at four offices of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) relating to rioting and arson at the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations on August 11. The SDPI is the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI).

“The riots led to fear and panic in the nearby areas and was intended to cause terror in the society,” the NIA stated. During the searches, the agency seized some “incriminating materials relating to SDPI/PFI as well as weapons like sword, knife and iron rods,” the NIA added.

The Central counter terror agency has arrested two people – bank recovery agent Sayyed Sadiq Ali and auto driver Syed Setu. The cases pertain to large-scale rioting “armed with lethal weapons, which caused injuries to police personnel, destroyed public and private property including the two police station buildings, public and private vehicles,” the NIA said.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB), which is also investigating the case, had submitted a preliminary charge sheet naming 60 people, including former mayor Sampath Raj and corporator Zakir in the DJ Halli riots case.

The former was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly playing a key role in instigating the arsonists to set fire to  MLA from Pulakeshi Nagar Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s residence in Kaval Byrasandra.So far, 124 accused have been arrested in DJ Halli police station case and 169  in KG Halli police station case.