Bengaluru riots: Court rejects bail plea of prime accused

Bengaluru: The Additional City Civil and Sessions Court has rejected the bail petition of P Naveen Kumar, whose alleged Facebook post had triggered the Bengaluru riots on August 11.

During the hearing on Monday, it was observed that Naveen was a habitual offender. The prosecution placed prima facie material against him and maintained that the alleged offence in relation to the riots was serious.

The 60th ACC&S judge Vidyadhar Shirahatti observed that the prosecution had placed the prima facie material against Naveen. However, Naveen's counsel argued that he has deep roots in the society and was unlikely to tamper with evidence since the prosecution relies on electronic evidence, hence, he should be granted bail.

A special public prosecutor (SPP) P Prasanna Kumar said a series of incidents following Naveen's Facebook post had led to the registering 67 FIRs in this (Bengaluru riots) case, which are under investigation.

Kumar also claimed that Naveen has a criminal antecedence and at least six cases have been registered against him in various police station limits in Bengaluru since 2007, hence he should not be granted bail.

Naveen had posted an insidious post on Facebook on August 11 hurting the religious sentiments of a community. He is the nephew of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinvasamurthy, whose ancestral home was also gutted in the riots.