The Karnataka government on Monday filed an application in the Karnataka High Court seeking the appointment of a Claims Commissioner for the approximation of the losses caused in the Bengaluru riot in DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits on August 11. A High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Oka will be hearing the Karnataka’s government’s appeal on Thursday, August 20.
The state government announced that it has decided to recover the damages caused by the riots from the culprits involved and will be moving the court for the same. A Claims Commissioner will assess and estimate the damage caused and a newly-appointed special investigation team will look into the case.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had held a meeting with Home Minister Basavraj S Bommai to review the developments regarding the investigation into the riots on Monday. “Our government has decided to assess the damages caused to public and private property in the violent incidents in KG Halli and DJ Halli and recover the costs from the culprits. Stringent actions have been initiated against the culprits under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act- UAPA act,” the Chief Minister had said on Monday.
At least 38 policemen were injured and several vehicles as well as property, including DJ Halli police station and MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s residence, were damaged in the violence. Three men died allegedly after police opened fire to control the mob that went on a rampage on the night of August 11 and one person succumbed to his injuries a few days later at a hospital in Bengaluru.
The Bengaluru police have registered 52 FIRs and arrested 200 people so far in connection with the riots. Those arrested include Bengaluru district president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Muzammil Pasha and Kaleem Pasha, the husband of a Congress corporator Irshad Begum.
The violent mob attacks were triggered last week after a Facebook comment posted by Naveen P, a relative of Congress MLA R Akhand Srinivas Murthy, was found offensive by Muslims. The violence began on August 11 night and was quelled only in the early hours of Wednesday morning after police opened fire against the mob.