The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into two cases related to the violence in D.J. Halli, in which the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been invoked by the city police.
Large-scale violence had broken out in D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli on the night of August 11 over a derogatory social media post against Islam by Naveen Kumar, nephew of Pulikeshinagar MLA Akhanda Sreenivasa Murthy, both of whose houses came under attack that night apart from D.J. Halli police station.
The NIA has registered new FIRs pertaining to the two cases, a release from NIA said on Tuesday. The FIRs state that Muzammil Pasha of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had earlier called a meeting and asked SDPI/ PFI members to instigate the mob and incite violence over the social media post. A special team led by an Inspector General of Police rank officer has been camping in the city to lead the probe, NIA said.
Ruling BJP MLA Arvind Limbavali who led the party’s fact-finding team on the violence was the first to demand an investigation by the NIA, alleging that the involvement of the SDPI and the Popular Front of India raised national security concerns.
The city police who had initially not invoked the UAPA, later added those sections to the two FIRs probing the conspiracy behind the violence following a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. The State government has since claimed they are making moves to proscribe the PFI and the SDPI.
