The violence that broke out in DJ Halli and adjoining areas in east Bengaluru on Tuesday night over an inflammatory Facebook post against Islam left three dead and three others injured after the police fired on the mob. Rioting, where as many as 2,000 people were on the streets vandalising and setting property afire, was brought under control in the early hours of Wednesday.
Tuesday 6 PM
* An inflammatory comment targeting Islam is posted on the Facebook page of P. Naveen Kumar, nephew of MLA R. Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy
7 PM
* Screenshots of the post were shared on local WhatsApp groups and on other social media sites, asking people to gather to protest
7:45 PM
* Muzammil Pasha, a local SDPI leader, goes to D.J. Halli Police Station to lodge a complaint
* Over 200 people gather outside police station. Two teams leave to arrest Naveen Kumar. SDPI alleges police did not act immediately and sought time to make the arrest
9:30 PM
* Police team returns to the station empty-handed. Mob assumes Naveen is in police van and demands he be handed over to them
* When police clarify that he is yet to be arrested, the mob turns against the police
* Around the same time, nearly 1,000 men gather outside the MLA’s house in Kaval Byrasandra
10:30 PM
* Mob outside D.J. Halli PS smash and burn several police vehicles and barge into the station
* Police resort to caning, but the mob becomes more violent. Police personnel trapped inside
* At Kaval Byrasandra, the mob moves from MLA’s house to Naveen’s house, which is vandalised and burnt
* Mob vandalises other properties
Around 11:15 PM
Police reinforcements arrive at D.J. Halli Police Station. They lob tear gas shells. The mob moves towards K.G. Halli Police Station, nearly a kilometre away, where they torch vehicles
Midnight
Police open fire, first in the air and then at rioters. Three people die
Post-midnight 1:00 AM
The rioters disperse
COMMents
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