Bengaluru, 27 April

In a significant development in the 2020 DJ Halli riot case, police have arrested another key accused Mohsin alias Imtiyaz Shukur, in the riots that took place in 2020 in KG Halli after P Naveen, nephew of then Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, had shared an inflammatory social media post targeting Prophet Muhammad.

Mobs vandalised property, torched the house of MLA, and attacked two police stations. Police firing during the riots resulted in three deaths, and over 38 policemen were injured.

A special team led by Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayan launched the operation to find Mohsin who was earlier associated with the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and had reportedly received training from radical elements. After the riots, he fled Bengaluru, moving between Hyderabad and Sindagi to evade arrest.

The case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which filed a 7,000-page chargesheet against 247 people in February 2021 under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Investigations by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) had earlier revealed the involvement of PFI and SDPI operatives in orchestrating the violence. More than 360 rioters were arrested, and multiple FIRs were registered at DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations. The police said that Mohsin's arrest is expected to provide further leads into the planning and execution of the riots.