Bangalore Riots: Supreme Court seeks response from Karnataka govt on plea against bail to ex-Mayor Sampath Raj

The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from Karnataka government on a plea challenging the February 12 order of the Karnataka High Court granting of bail to former Mayor of Bengaluru Sampath Raj and former Corporator Abdul Raqueeb Zakir in a case related to the 2020 Bangalore riots..A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy directed Raj and Zakir to reply within three weeks on the plea filed by Congress MLA of Pulikeshinagar Constituency, R Akhanda Srinivasmurthy through advocate Amit Pai..Moving a letter of urgency along with the petition, it stated that bail was granted to the principal accused in large scale communal violence orchestrated by him and his co-conspirators, "which resulted in damage to public property to the tune of crores, and also led to the burning down of the house of the Petitioner (Complainant)."Srinivasmurthy claimed that Raj, who lost Assembly polls from the neighbouring CV Raman Nagar Assembly constituency, harboured ill-will due to political reasons. The accused created unrest and a law and order situation on the pretext of an alleged derogatory post by his nephew.."In view of the role of Respondent - Accused in inciting a mob to attack, vandalise, commit dacoity and set fire to the house of the Petitioner, and also destroy public property at a very large scale, including setting fire to 2 police stations, leading to a communal clash, it is submitted, it is in the interests of the society that bail ought not to have been granted by the Hon’ble High Court," the plea said. .The case was filed in relation to offences under the IPC, as well as the Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act, 1981, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. .Around 3,000 to 4,000 people in August, 2020, engaged in rioting setting ablaze houses of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA Srinivasamurthy and his sister over an alleged inflammatory social media post by his nephew..The plea pointed out that Sampath Raj is accused of very serious offences, which carry punishment of life imprisonment. It also highlighted that he did not appear before the investigating officer when summoned, and was absconding until the High Court in November, 2020, directed the investigating officer to trace Raj and arrest him. .Murthy further stated that Raj and Abdul Raqueeb Zakir were responsible to incite people in a communally surcharged atmosphere "to attack, vandalise, commit dacoity and set fire to the house of the Petitioner, as also cause heavy losses to the public exchequer by the destruction of private and public property"..Senior advocates Devadatt Kamat and R Basant and advocate Rajesh Inamdar had appeared for the petitioner.