Bengaluru violence: CCB arrests PA of former Mayor Sampath Raj

Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday (August 19, 2020) arrested a PA of former Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj in connection with the violence that took place in the city on August 11 night.

PA Arun Kumar's arrest comes a day after the CCB questioned Sampath Raj, a congress corporator who was the mayor of Bengaluru in 2019. 

As per reports, Sampath was grilled on Wednesday as well for over 3 hours.

The violence in DJ Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 night was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy.

Rioters had torched Congress MLA's residence along with a police station at DJ Halli and they also set many police and private vehicles afire, looting the belongings of the legislator and his sister. 

As many as 340 people have been so far arrested in connection with the violence.

Earlier on August 15, Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy whose house was ablaze during the Bengaluru violence claimed that over Rs 20 lakh worth gold was stolen from his house and that Rs 50 lakh property was damaged on the night of August 11.

The two times Congress MLA in a police complaint said that while he along with his family went to a temple, around 2000-3000 miscreants in a "well-planned manner" attacked his house and office.

He said that the mob ransacked the building, burnt it and looted the valuables and jewels.

Notably, the Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on August 17 chaired a meeting with Home minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior state government officials and said that the state government has decided to assess the damages caused to public and private property in the incidents of violence in KG Halli and DG Halli and recover the costs from the culprits.