BENGALURU: The Devara Jeevanhalli (DJ Halli) violence on August 11 is likely to be handed over the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as a man arrested in connection with the riots by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Monday may have links with members of Al-Hind, a suspected terror outfit.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil said the man, Samiuddin, has been detained by the CCB police and “we will take his custody for further inquiry”.
While the CCB on Monday invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused in the August 11 riots, a reliable source privy to the investigation said, “The case is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) because of the invocation of UAPA sections. Samiuddin allegedly has links the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political offshoot – the Social Democratic Front of India (SDPI). Majority of the suspects arrested in the DJ Halli case are from these two organisations and some of them allegedly have links with the ‘Al Hind’.”
Officials of the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) at CCB are presently interrogating Samiuddin at an undisclosed location to ascertain his nexus with Al-Hind and what role he played in the outfit.
The Al Hind module was busted by the city and Tamil Nadu police last year and the case was later handed over to NIA, which had last month chargesheeted 17 accused, of whom 11 are from Karnataka.
The police also arrested K Wajid Pasha, president of Karnataka Tippu Tiger Welfare Trust, in connection with the riots. Pasha had sent messages to people to come to DJ Halli police station and allegedly instigated them, the police said.