A Special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru has sentenced three men to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to charges related to the mob attack on the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations in 2020.
NIA Special Court Judge Kemparaju convicted Syed Ikramuddin alias Syed Naveed, Syed Atif, and Mohammed Atif on Wednesday, July 23, and also imposed a fine of Rs 36,000 each.
The trio are the first individuals to be convicted in the high-profile case. They were listed as the 14th, 16th, and 18th accused in the chargesheet filed by the agency. The trial of the other accused is yet to begin.
Special Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar represented the State.
The case relates to the violence on August 11, 2020, when a mob of around 25 to 30 people gathered near the KG Halli police station at around 9 pm, demanding swift police action against Naveen, the nephew of then-Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. Naveen had allegedly posted derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed on social media, sparking public outrage.
Led by Syed Ikramuddin, the protest escalated despite police efforts to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The mob turned violent, resulting in arson, stone-pelting, and significant damage to public and private property. The DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations bore the brunt of the attacks. A chargesheet has been filed against 138 individuals.
The case was initially investigated by the local police but was later handed over to the NIA.