Congress corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir held in Bengaluru violence case

Bengaluru: Congress corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir, one of the accused in the case relating to the violence the broke out in the city on August 11 night, was arrested, police said on Thursday. Absconding corporator Zakir was arrested last night in Devara Jeevanahalli violence case that left four people dead, the police said in a brief statement, without divulging further details.

The Pulakeshinagar ward corporator's arrest comes a fortnight after that of former Congress mayor R Sampath Raj, who had escaped from a hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for coronavirus.

Both were at large and were arrested later.


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 Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and his sister over an alleged inflammatory social media post uploaded by his nephew.

The angry mob also torched Devara Jeevanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police stations over suspicion that the MLA's nephew was present there.

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

According to police, the duo were among the key conspirators of the violence to 'politically' finish off their party legislator Srinivasa Murthy.

The both were charged with instigating the crowd over the social media post by Murthy's kin.