The National Investigation Agency (NIA) grilled two Congress MLAs from the city – Chamrajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad in connection with the violence that erupted in the DJ Halli and KG Halli areas of Bengaluru on August 11 over a Facebook post allegedly deriding the Prophet of Islam.
According to the reports, Congress MLA Zameer was called for questioning by the NIA officials on Tuesday. The officials questioned him and recorded his statements. On Monday, Rizwan Arshad was also questioned and his statements were recorded. Earlier, there were both given notices asking them to join the probe.
The Congress MLAs were summoned by NIA to explain their presence near the areas where the Muslim mob unleashed violence on August 11. The NIA officials reportedly confronted them with video evidence to show their presence in the area on the day of the violence.
Reportedly, the NIA officials, who questioned the Congress MLAs for over four hours, asked them about what they saw on August 11 and their connection with the accused arrested in the case.
Responding to NIA’s questions, the MLAs claimed that that had received information about a mob creating a ruckus after the local police and leaders had asked him to visit the area to control the situation.
They claimed that the violence did not stop even after their visit and hence they had to leave the spot as the situation went out of control. The two Congress MLAs claimed that they had no role in the Bengaluru violence and contended that they had no role in instigating or encouraging the Muslim mob that unleashed terror on the streets on Bengaluru on August 11.
Two Congress corporators named in the Bengaluru charge-sheet
On Tuesday, the Central Crime Branch of Karnataka Police filed a preliminary charge sheet on Monday in connection to the Bengaluru violence of August 2020.
In the 850-page charge sheet, the CCB has named 52 people as accused. The CCB has recorded statements of more than 30 eyewitnesses in connection with the case. The investigating agency has also named Congress corporators Sampath Raj and Zakir Hussain as accused number 51 and 52, respectively.
The personal assistant of Sampath Raj, Arun Kumar, was arrested by CCB. The investigation agency found out that he made over ten calls to SDPI leader Muzammil Pasha and others. Pasha and several others are among the accused in the case. The CCB investigation had revealed that SDPI and Congress leaders were behind the unbridled violence.
Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested a key conspirator in the attack on the KG Halli police station in the city’s north-eastern suburb that occurred on August 11.
Amidst chants of ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ and ‘Nara e Taqbeer’, Muslim mob unleashed violence in Bengaluru
On August 11, a Muslim mob went on a rampage and unleashed brutal violence and arson in Bengaluru over a Facebook post that was allegedly derogatory to Prophet Mohammad. The Muslim mob hit the streets near DJ Halli and KG Halli police station areas on Tuesday evening and attacked a Congress MLA’s house after one of his relatives had allegedly made a derogatory Facebook post.
More than 60 police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting and the subsequent violence unleashed by the irate Muslim mobs. At least 10 vehicles, including Innovas of two DCPs, were damaged in front of the stations. The mob also set fire to the vehicles in front of the DJ Halli police station.
During the pre-planned attack, the Muslim mob, carrying petrol bombs and other weapons, also barged into the nearby police quarters and attacked the premises. The Muslim mob was seen raising Islamic slogans like ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ and ‘Nara-e-Taqbeer’ outside the police station.
Till now, the investigation agencies have arrested more than 340 people for arson, stone-pelting and attacking police personnel.
