Bengaluru riots: Corporator Rakeeb Zakir arrested

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested former corporator of Pulakeshinagar ward, Abdul Rakeeb Zakir on Wednesday night in connection with the case of riots in D J Halli and K G Halli that happened on August 11.

He is the second corporator to get arrested in the riots case. Earlier, the CCB officials had arrested former mayor R Sampath Raj. Zakir was absconding for more than one-and-half months. He was on run along with Sampath, but the former Mayor decided to surrender before police on November 17 as all the efforts made by him to quash the FIR and get anticipatory bail got rejected. The High Court had also directed the CCB officials to arrest Sampath.

Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) confirmed the arrest of Zakir and said further details cannot be shared till they interrogate him.

Zakir and Sampath both were hiding together in the same farmhouse near Nagarahole. After the arrest of their aide Riyazuddin on November 7, Zakir changed his hideout. Riyazuddin had helped the duo to escape from the police by arranging accommodation and other basic needs for them.

The CCB is investigating the case of arson at the residence of Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, Pulakeshinagar MLA, while two other cases of arson at D J Halli and K G Halli police stations are being investigated by National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The CCB has already filed charge sheet against Sampath and Zakir along with other accused persons. Sampath is at present in judicial custody and lodged in Parappana Agrahara central jail.