The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Bengaluru sentenced three individuals to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the with the mob attack on DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations in August 2020.
The accused were identified as Syed Ikramuddin alias Syed Naveed, Syed Atif and Mohammed Atif. Each convict was fined with Rs 36,000.
The sentencing from the court pertains to the mob violence that erupted on August 11, 2020, when a group estimated at 25 to 30 people gathered near the KG Halli police station around 9 pm.
The protesters demanded immediate action against a relative of the then Pulakeshinagar MLA, Akhand Srinivasa Murthy, who was accused of posting derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed on social media.
The demonstration was reportedly led by Syed Ikramuddin, one of the convicted individuals. As tensions rose, the police invoked Section 144 of the CrPC to restore order. Despite this, the mob turned violent, sparking a riot that caused significant damage to both public and private property.
Sections 15, 16, 18, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; Sections 143, 147, 148, 353, 333, 332, 436, 427, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code; along with Section 4 of the Karnataka Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act were invoked against them.
“The substantial sentences imposed on accused number 14, 16, and 18 shall run concurrently. The period spent in judicial custody shall be set off under Section 428 of the CrPC. The entire fine recovered shall be applied towards defraying the expenses incurred in the prosecution,” the court stated.
According to the chargesheet in the court, they were the fourteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth accused. 187 of the 199 people named in the case were taken into custody. One died while four others later turned themselves in. 138 people have thus far been the subject of a formal chargesheet filed by the prosecution.
On August 11, 2020, over 300 people gathered outside the DJ Halli Police Station to protest an allegedly offensive Facebook post by P. Naveen regarding Prophet Muhammad, according to police sources. Naveen is the nephew of Congress leader and Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy.
A complaint was filed by a man named Firdous Pasha, accusing Naveen of offenses under Sections 295-A and 153 of the Indian Penal Code, which prompted the filing of a formal complaint. Despite the FIR and police efforts to calm the crowd, the protestors refused to disperse and their numbers only grew. They later marched to the home of Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and caused significant damage to the property.
Syed Ikramuddin, now one of the convicted individuals, led the demonstration. As tensions escalated, the police imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to maintain order.
Nevertheless, the violent mob inflicted widespread property damage across the area, resulting in three fatalities during police action. Over 80 police officers sustained injuries in the clashes.
The court found that rioters vandalized 13 vehicles, including one Innova, five two-wheelers, and seven other automobiles. As the unrest unfolded, liberal and leftist sympathizers sought to downplay the violence, falsely claiming that human chains were formed to protect temples—an assertion later debunked.
Following the incident, the local police handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The NIA’s probe revealed crucial links between the accused and the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) along with its political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
According to the probe agency, PFI members orchestrated the attack with the aim of escalating communal tensions and destabilizing government institutions. Currently, 64 criminal cases have been registered, and investigations remain ongoing.
