The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday carried out searches at seven locations in Karnataka in connection with the DJ Halli and KG Halli Police Station attack case from last year. An NIA spokesperson said that the agency has carried out searches at seven locations in Bengaluru city at the premises of seven absconding chargesheeted accused persons in the case.
The official said that during the searches, various incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of absconding accused persons. The official said that two cases were originally registered at DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations respectively, pertaining to an incident on August 11, 2020, when a mob, protesting the alleged derogatory social media post about Prophet Muhammad by one Naveen, turned violent and targeted the police stations, the NIA official said. The mob attacked police personnel, burnt the force's vehicles and damaged government and private properties in and around the two police stations, the official said.
The NIA re-registered the cases and in February filed a charge sheet against 109 and 138 accused persons in connection with the attacks on the two police stations respectively.
During the searches, various incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of the absconding accused, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation was underway.
In June, the accused were released on bail and addressed a press conference after their release. They alleged that they were falsely arrested and harassed by the police. The accused - Syyed Masood, Muzamil Pasha, Sameeruddin, Mohammed Sirajuddin and Syyed – had told the press in Bengaluru that they were all arrested under false pretext and later labelled as ‘terrorists’ due to vendetta. Syed had added that they had gone to the DJ Halli police station to file a complaint against Naveen over his post criticising Prophet Mohammed but the enraged mob resorted to violence in spite of their efforts to pacify them.