Bengaluru, July 24 (IANS) Welcoming the conviction of three accused in the DJ Halli and KG Halli riot case reported in Bengaluru in 2020, the Karnataka BJP demanded that all culprits in the riot case should be punished.

“The incident of an MLA’s house being set on fire is still fresh. Many are involved in the case, including those associated with the banned outfit PFI and supporters of Pakistan. They all should face stringent punishment,” said Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka.

State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra also welcomed the court’s decision to sentence three miscreants, who set fire to and destroyed the KG Halli police station, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

“This significant verdict is a slap in the face to the Congress-led government in Karnataka, which had attempted to form a committee to release the rioters by portraying them as innocent for the sake of vote-bank politics. The public now expects that the remaining accused will also be given strict punishment,” he stated.

He urged the state government to take firm and preventive measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur and that such miscreant elements are deterred from committing such heinous acts in the future.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday had sentenced three accused persons in connection with the 2020 DJ Halli-KG Halli riot case to seven years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.

The convicted individuals are 44-year-old Syed Ikramuddin alias Syed Naveed, a resident of Kushalnagar in K.G. Halli; 46-year-old Syed Asif, a resident of Bharat Mata Layout; and 26-year-old Mohammad Atif, a resident of Basava Nagar.

Syed Ikramuddin was the 14th accused, Syed Asif the 16th, and Mohammad Atif the 18th in the charge sheet. They were convicted of criminal conspiracy for their involvement in setting fire to the KG Halli police station during the riots.

The case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency, which later filed a detailed chargesheet. The accused were presented before the court through video conference.

The incident occurred on August 11, 2020. A group of 25 to 30 individuals had gathered in front of the KG Halli Police Station, shouting slogans and demanding the arrest of Naveen, the nephew of former MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, for allegedly posting a derogatory message insulting the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

According to the charge sheet, the mob, led by accused Syed Ikramuddin and others, entered the KG Halli Police Station demanding the registration of a case against Naveen.

The gathering at the station grew steadily and turned violent, especially in the wake of the already escalating violence in the neighbouring DJ Halli Police Station area.

The violence escalated as the mob vandalised and set fire to government and private vehicles parked near the police station. They also demanded that Naveen be handed over to them, threatening to kill him.

During the incident, the rioters damaged a total of 12 vehicles, including government and private vehicles. Of these, five two-wheelers and one Innova car were completely burnt, while six other vehicles were damaged.

The police named 199 persons as accused in the FIR. Of them, 187 were arrested, four surrendered, and one accused died. The police later submitted a charge sheet against 138 individuals.

–IANS

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