Five months after it took over the investigation into the violence at K.G. Halli and D.J. Halli, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against 247 people in the Special Court. While 109 persons have been charged in connection with the violence at D.J. Halli, 138 accused have been booked for the violence at K.G. Halli, sources said.
Large-scale violence had broken out in the two localities on the night of August 11 over a derogatory social media post against Islam by Navin Kumar, nephew of Pulikeshinagar MLA Akhanda Sreenivasa Murthy. The mob attacked both their houses as well as D.J. Halli Police Station.
During the course of its investigation, which began in September, the NIA suspected political machinations and a deep-rooted conspiracy for the massive rioting that followed the post, said the source.
In December, the agency arrested 17 SDPI/PFI leaders and party members for their alleged role in instigating the mob.
“SDPI leaders held meetings on the day of the violence and mobilised the crowd,” said an official. He added the investigation also revealed the use of social media platforms, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to spread terror among people and mobilise people from far away places to gather at D.J. Halli.
