Three police teams to track down ex-mayor in B'lore riots case

The Central Crime Branch police probing the Bengaluru riots case has issued a notice to former mayor Sampath Raj for the third time. Three special teams are working to track down Sampath Raj.

Bengaluru:The Central Crime Branch police probing the DJ Halli & KG Halli riots on August 11 has issued a notice for the third time to former mayor Sampath Raj in connection with the case. The former mayor has been absconding from the hospital where he underwent treatment for COVID-19

The CCB has formed three special teams to track down Sampath Raj. The team has been surveilling in Kerala and Bangalore. The Sampath Raj anticipatory bail application will be heard in court today. If the application is rejected, Sampath Raj will face further hardship. The CCB has already investigated Sampath's friends and relatives' houses. The CCB has also stuck a notice in front of Raj's two houses and his sister's house.

According to the police, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Venugopal had issued a notice to the hospital authorities on October 7 asking them to inform police before discharging Raj. However, the hospital had discharged him without informing the police, following which another notice had been issued to its authorities, they said.

Read:Ex-Congress Mayor accused in Bengaluru riots case is absconding: Police

Over 3,000 people went on a rampage on August 11 torching the residences of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, his sister and the D J Halli and K G Halli police stations over an inflammatory social media post by the relative of the legislator.

In its charge sheet filed earlier this month, police had accused Raj of instigating the mob against the MLA to avenge him politically. The police have arrested over 400 people, including the Social Democratic Party of India leader Muzammil Pasha, in connection with the violence in which three people were killed in police firing and one died due to injuries.

The National Investigation Agency is also probing the case simultaneously and has arrested two conspirators.