In a first, Karnataka police invoke UAPA in a riot case

For the first time ever, the Karnataka police have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a riot case.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) decided to invoke the stringent law after arresting 42-year-old Samiuddin over the city’s worst riots in two decades. The CCB claims Samiuddin, who was arrested from KG Halli, Northeast Bengaluru, in the early hours of Monday, is associated with the Bangladesh-based Al-Hind outfit and has links with the accused arrested for the murder of RSS worker, R Rudresh, in Shivajinagar in 2016.

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Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said Samiuddin was one of the “conspirators and organisers” of the riots that broke out in DJ Halli on August 11. He had called up a large number of people and asked them to assemble in front of the DJ Halli police station and indulge in violence, Patil added.

Samiuddin was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage. A senior officer who’s part of the investigation said Samiuddin was in touch with members of the Al-Hind outfit as well as the accused in the Rudresh murder case, some of who are associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Samiuddin also used to visit the accused in prison. He will be taken into custody and questioned about his activities, the officer added.

The UAPA is usually invoked in terrorism-related offences. A person arrested under this law cannot get bail for at least six months, which is also the deadline for the police to file a charge sheet.

Asked about why the UAPA was invoked in this case, another senior police officer said some people arrested for the riots were still in touch with Al-Hind. “We have made a requisition to the court to allow us to invoke additional sections in the case,” he explained.

Members of Al-Hind were previously arrested for the murders of pro-Hindu leaders in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.