Bengaluru violence is taking many twists and turns. The charge sheet by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in the investigation into the riots has inferred that a political rivalry between a former Bengaluru mayor, a former councillor and MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, led to the violence on August 11. The charge sheet has names of Sampath Raj, a former Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor from the Congress, his personal assistant Arun, car driver Santhosh, Mujahid Khan, and former Pulakeshinagar councillor Abdul Rakhib Zakir.
Bengaluru: 3498 fresh cases get recorded in the city; know the mortality rate
It declared that a closed group of people, which involved the arrested members, allegedly planned an attack on the residence of MLA Akhand Srinivasa Murthy by asking Mujahid Khan to instigate members of the Muslim community to turn against the MLA. The charge sheet stated that the attack was planned months in advance and that the accused members took advantage of the situation on August 11, an alleged offensive Facebook post. A violent mob began concurrent attacks on the police station at DJ Halli and the residence and office of MLA R Akhand Srinivasa Murthy in Kaval Byrasandra in Bengaluru on the night of August 11.
Bengaluru: 4623 fresh cases surge up in the state
The mob was provoked by a Facebook comment made by P Naveen, a relative of Akhand Srinivasa Murthy, which was deemed offensive to Muslims. The mob was also exacerbated by the police's refusal to register an FIR immediately in the case. The violence, which started on the night of August 11, was brought under control around 1 am on August 12 after the police opened fire to quell the mob, killing three people by gunshot.