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The Bengaluru City Police has registered a seven First Information Report (FIRs ) in connection with the mob violence in Kaval Byrasandra, DJ Halli in East Bengaluru.

The FIR has named 22 people, out of which 16 have been identified as members of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).

On Tuesday night, a mob went on a rampage following an inflammatory post on social media allegedly by a relative of a legislator. The violence left three people dead and five injured in police firing. Of the seven FIRs filed on Thursday, six cases have been registered suo moto by the jurisdictional police and one case against P Naveen, nephew of the MLA who allegedly posted on Facebook, based on the complaint by a social activist—Firdos Pasha.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is monitoring the situation, hinted at SDPI’s hand for the mob violence. “The inquiry is underway and new aspects are coming out. I can’t reveal much now.” The minister said police after examining the violence video footage has picked up four SDPI members and has arrested Muzammil Pasha, SDPI district secretary.

The SDPI has denied any role in the violence. The party’s president Elyas M Thumbe said Pasha was helping the police in calming and handling the mob. Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, the MLA who was not at home when the mob pelted stones and set fire to his house, said “It is a miracle that I am alive… When the incident happened I was outside. Some well wishers in the area called me and forewarned me and thus I managed to escape, otherwise I don’t think I would be alive today.”

Meanwhile, the Congress party said they are not interested in politics over the incident as maintaining peace was its priority. The party has formed a committee headed by senior party member and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara to look into the violence

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