MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy blames corporators of his own party for 'planned' riots

Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy has accused two BBMP corporators and the husband of another corporator of “orchestrating” the August 11 riots to take “political revenge” on him.

Murthy’s house and office were looted and set on fire by a violent mob in protest against an offensive Facebook post uploaded by his nephew, P Naveen. Murthy had claimed he had severed ties with Naveen.

On Wednesday, the Congress MLA appeared before DCP (Crime-2) K P Ravi Kumar and recorded his statement. Pointing the finger at Congress corporators from his constituency, Murthy claimed the attack on his house was planned a month before the riots.

While the police didn’t publicly reveal the corporators named by the MLA, it’s learnt he mentioned R Sampath Raj (DJ Halli), Abdul Rakeeb Zakir (Pulakeshinagar) and Kaleem Pasha, the husband of Nagawara corporator Irshaad Begum. Pasha has already been arrested while the CCB questioned Raj and Zakir on Tuesday and seized their phones. They have been summoned for questioning on Thursday, too, said a senior officer said. If police sources are to be believed, the two corporators named by Murthy are likely to be arrested on the basis of his testimony as the prime witness.

According to sources, Murthy said Raj held a grudge against him after he bagged the Congress ticket to contest the Pulakeshinagar assembly election in 2018. Murthy had left the JD(S) to join the Congress. Raj apparently wanted to contest from Pulakeshinagar. Zakir and Kaleem, too, held a grudge against him because they saw him as a turncoat. Murthy won the election by a record margin while Raj lost from CV Raman Nagar. The two corporators and Kaleem didn't reconcile their differences with Murthy, the sources added.

"They were jealous of my victory. Raj wants the Congress ticket from Pulakeshinagar for the next election and has been trying to win over the corporators. They all hatched a conspiracy to pit Muslims against me," Murthy reportedly told the police. Naveen's Facebook post was just a ruse, he reportedly added.

Murthy told the CCB that Muzzamil Pasha, an SDPI member who lost the BBMP election from Sagayapuram, also held a grudge against him. Wajid Pasha, a local JD(S) worker who has since been arrested, was upset with Murthy because he had quit the JD(S), the MLA is said to have told the police.

Corporator’s PA arrested

The CCB arrested Arun, the nephew and personal assistant of Raj. Arun was picked up for questioning after the CCB discovered he had made 11 phone calls to Wajid and Muzzammil during the riots. Arun's arrest indicates the corporator may also be arrested.