The Karnataka police have arrested Maulana Wasim Mobalik, alias Pathan, the main accused in the Hubballi violence case. The cleric had given a provocative speech outside the Old Hubballi police station that had enraged the Muslim mob culminating in attacks against the police station in Hubballi, Karnataka on Saturday (April 16).
#KaranatakaRiots | The main accused in the Hubbali riots, Wasim Pathan has now been arrested.
— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 21, 2022
AIMIM hand in Hubbali riots?
Mazhar Sharif, Gen Secy, AIMIM & Vikas Kumar, BJP Spokesperson share their views with @harishupadhya. pic.twitter.com/KNopPM26f9
According to reports, the cleric, also an AIMIM leader had been absconding after a Muslim mob went on a rampage, pelting at the old Hubli police station, a nearby temple, and a hospital in Hubballi, Karnataka on April 16. His last mobile location had been traced to Hyderabad. Finally, today he was detained by the Hubballi police team in Mumbai and brought to Hubballi. Pathan is likely to be produced before the court later in the day.
Earlier in the day, the police also arrested another AIMIM (All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen) leader, Mohammed Arif, who was also absconding after the incident. The two arrests have taken the total number of arrests in the Hubballi violence case to 126.
Earlier, Irfan Nalvatwad, the husband of AIMIM Corporator Hussainbi Nalvatwad from Ward No 77 was also arrested by the Karnataka police in connection with the Hubballi violence.
OpIndia reported on April 19, Tuesday, how images and videos had emerged showing Maulana Wasim Mobalik, alias Pathan standing atop the Hubballi police commissioner’s car outside Old Hubballi police station, making provocative speeches. Wasim addressed an agitated mob, which had gathered to protest against a social media post. After his inflammatory speech, large-scale violence happened in Hubballi. Next to Maulana Wasim, the local Congress leader Altaf Hallur can also be seen encouraging him to deliver the provocative speech.
Police officials say the mob wanted to lynch them during Hubballi riots
The Karnataka police, meanwhile, revealed on Thursday that the bloodthirsty mob had attempted to kill the policemen. In their complaint, police constables Anil Kandekar and Manjunath from Kasaba police station described how they narrowly escaped being lynched by the irate fanatics.
Earlier, the Hubballi police registered two cases against the Muslim mob in connection with the attacks on the police station in Hubballi based on a complaint filed by police inspector Jagdish.
In the complaint, the police inspector Jagdish also said they were attacked and had to escape from the mob to save his life. He also said that the enraged mob threatened them to kill him and pelted stones at him and other police officials. Jagdish and his team were deployed to rescue the police personnel at the Old Hubballi police station, who was attacked by the Muslim mob.
