Congress corporator Zakir held in Bengaluru riots case

Bengaluru: Congress corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir, who is an accused in the city riots case, was arrested on Wednesday night by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police. Another key accused and former Mayor Sampath Raj has already been in police custody.

The arrest was confirmed by Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Sandeep Patil who said, "Zakir, the accused in DJ Halli case, has been arrested." Zakir was named accused in the charge sheet filed by the CCB. According to the CCB he was part of the mob that torched the house of MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy in Kaval Byrasandra on August 11. Both Zakir and Sampath Raj had been on the run after the incident. More than 421 people have been arrested including members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in connection with the riots.

Prior to Sampath Raj's arrest, their aide who had helped them flee and take shelter in various parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu was also arrested, police sources said. Around 3,000 to 4,000 people went on a rampage, setting ablaze the houses of Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and his sister over an alleged inflammatory social media post uploaded by his nephew.

Three people were killed in police firing while another person died due to abdominal injuries suffered in the violence.