On the night of 11 August 2020, crowds in east Bengaluru attacked the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations and burnt the house of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, after his nephew posted content on Facebook that Muslims found offensive to the Prophet. Police opened fire, killing three men, and hundreds were arrested. The NIA took over the case under the anti-terror law UAPA and blamed SDPI members, which the party denies. Three accused were sentenced to seven years in July 2025, and the trial of the rest has not been reported as concluded.
Key takeaways
- On 11 August 2020 crowds attacked the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations and the house of MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy over a Facebook post by his nephew. Police firing killed three men.
- City police blamed a rivalry inside the Congress and arrested former mayor Sampath Raj. The NIA blamed an SDPI conspiracy, which the party denies.
- The High Court gave default bail to 115 accused in 2021 but in 2022 called the violence "an act of terrorism" while refusing bail to others.
- A magisterial inquiry found the police firing justified. In July 2025 three accused who pleaded guilty got seven years.
Background: the post and the complaint
DJ Halli and KG Halli lie in Bengaluru's Pulakeshinagar constituency. Its MLA, R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, is a Dalit leader who moved from the JD(S) to the Congress before 2018 TNM/IANS.
On 11 August 2020 his nephew, P Naveen, made a Facebook post that was described as derogatory to the Prophet Muhammad. Naveen later posted that his account had been hacked, and appealed for calm Scroll. In court he later argued that he had "merely forwarded the post" and then withdrawn it Bar and Bench.
That evening a delegation went to DJ Halli police station to complain about the post. Muzammil Pasha, an SDPI leader, went to the station with a complaint at 7.45 pm TNM. SDPI general secretary Abdul Hannan said the inspector and ACP "asked us to wait", and that by 11.30 pm police had still not arrested Naveen The Wire.
What happened on the night of 11 August
Police said a crowd of nearly 1,000 people gathered in front of the KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations demanding Naveen's arrest. Another group gathered outside the MLA's house, damaged it and set fire to vehicles parked outside Scroll. Later estimates of the crowd ran from 2,000 to 3,000, in the MLA's police complaint, to 3,000 to 4,000 ETV Bharat/PTI Deccan Herald.
The mob set fire to the basement of DJ Halli police station and to police vehicles, and stoned the official car of the DCP (East). Scroll LiveLaw. Deccan Herald reported that 57 police vehicles and about 181 private vehicles were burnt Deccan Herald. Rioters looted the belongings of the MLA and his sister, and the MLA's complaint put losses at Rs 3 crore ETV Bharat/PTI.
The violence was brought under control around 1 am on 12 August TNM. A civil society fact-finding team later reported that some Muslim residents formed human chains outside a Hanuman temple and the police station to keep the mob away TNM.
Timeline
Police firing
Three men die of gunshot wounds. Curfew is imposed in DJ Halli and KG Halli police limits and Section 144 across Bengaluru Scroll.
First arrests
Pant says Naveen and 110 others have been arrested Scroll.
NIA takes over
The NIA takes over the two UAPA cases TNM/PTI.
The firing deaths
On 13 August the government ordered a magisterial inquiry by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G N Shivamurthy. Its order named the three men killed as Yasin Pasha (21), Majid Khan (19) and Sheikh Siddiq (25) Deccan Herald. Claim · Family The father of one man told PTI his son ran a meat shop, had gone for dinner and was "not involved in any arson" Scroll.
Some outlets give a toll of four, counting Syed Nadeem, an accused who died in custody. Police said he may have been hit in the abdomen by a hard object, and denied that his death was caused by firing ETV Bharat/PTI.
Both accounts
Accused, SDPI and community leaders
SDPI Karnataka president Elyas Muhammad Thumbe said the party was being dragged in "just to cover-up police inaction against blasphemy and failure of intelligence". He said Muzammil Pasha "was there with the police trying to calm people down" Deccan Herald. After the NIA chargesheet, the SDPI said the agency acted "under the influence of the Sangh Parivar". It pointed out that Naveen was out on bail while an accused booked under UAPA stayed in jail TNM. Claim · Accused Accused released on bail in June 2021 said they had tried to protect the police station, were wrongly labelled terrorists and were mistreated in custody TNM.
Police and government account
Government's position Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the investigation had shown the role of the SDPI and named Muzammil Pasha as "the main" accused Scroll. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa called the attacks "unpardonable" Scroll. He said the government would recover damages from the culprits and would use UAPA Scroll. Bommai said police had been "given a free hand" to contain the violence Scroll. The state told the High Court that more than 80 police personnel were injured LiveLaw.
Congress leader Siddaramaiah condemned both the violence and the post Scroll. Separate fact-finding reports disagreed. A report by 23 civil society members said there was no substantial evidence that the violence was communal or pre-planned, and that police failed to act in time TNM. A BJP team led by Aravind Limbavali said the riots were pre-planned, gave the police a clean chit and sought a ban on the SDPI Business Standard/IANS.
Two investigations, two theories
City police. By 17 August police had registered 52 FIRs and arrested at least 264 people Scroll. By mid-October 421 people had been arrested The Wire/PTI. Those arrested included Kaleem Pasha, husband of Congress corporator Irshad Begum TNM.
On 12 October 2020 the Central Crime Branch (CCB) filed an 850-page preliminary chargesheet. It named former Congress mayor and DJ Halli corporator R Sampath Raj and former Pulakeshinagar corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir The Wire/PTI. Claim · CCB It said Sampath Raj, who had wanted the Pulakeshinagar ticket, planned the attack on the MLA months in advance, and the group used the post as an opportunity TNM. KPCC chief D K Shivakumar rejected this and accused police of acting as agents of the BJP TNM. Raj, who went missing from a hospital on 30 October, was arrested on 16 November Scroll.
NIA. The NIA arrested 17 SDPI and PFI members in December 2020, saying 187 people had been arrested in its case TNM. Claim · NIA chargesheet In February 2021 its chargesheet said SDPI leaders conspired because they were unhappy with Article 370's repeal, the CAA and NRC, the Babri Masjid verdict and triple talaq. It said accused Fairoz Pasha posted content insulting Hindu gods, tagged Naveen and provoked his reply, then mobilised cadres TNM. The SDPI noted that the NIA had given a "clean chit" to Sampath Raj and other Congress leaders whom city police called masterminds TNM.
Bail and court rulings
- Naveen: granted bail by Justice B A Patil on 14 October 2020. The court said the post had been withdrawn and the maximum sentence for his offences was three years TNM Bar and Bench.
- Sampath Raj and Zakir: given conditional bail by the High Court in February 2021 TNM. The Supreme Court dismissed the MLA's challenges on 23 August 2021, saying it could not reappreciate evidence at the bail stage Deccan Herald.
- 115 accused: given default bail in June 2021 because the special court had extended the NIA's time to investigate without hearing them TNM.
- Bail refused: on 10 August 2022 a bench of Justices K Somashekar and Shivshankar Amarannavar held that the case attracted UAPA bail limits National Herald/IANS. In May 2023 another bench said "Bail is rule, Jail is exception" cannot be chanted "like a mantra" SCC Online.
Magisterial inquiry and damages
The Cabinet accepted the magisterial report on 22 December 2022 Deccan Herald. Government's position According to a Cabinet note seen by Deccan Herald, the report said SDPI members acted like a "terrorist gang". It found police were "left with no choice but to open fire" after tear gas, caning and rubber pellets failed Deccan Herald. These accounts come from the Cabinet note and home department sources; the full report was not published in the reporting reviewed.
Claims commissioner Kempanna received 90 claims covering 102 vehicles and 17 properties, worth Rs 4.49 crore. By August 2022 he had examined 116 people and expected to report within two months Deccan Herald.
Outcome
- Deaths: three in police firing; one accused died in custody, which police said was not from firing.
- Arrests: 421 by October 2020; NIA chargesheet against 138 in the KG Halli case TNM.
- Convictions: on 23 July 2025 Syed Ikramuddin, Syed Asif and Mohammed Atif were sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 36,000 each after pleading guilty. IANS reported the fine as Rs 20,000. They are the first convictions in the case Deccan Herald TNM.
What is still pending
When the three were sentenced, the trial of the other accused had not begun TNM. In July 2023 Home Minister G Parameshwara began reviewing MLA Tanveer Sait's request to withdraw cases he called "false". The BJP's Bommai called this a "betrayal" Deccan Herald TNM. In October 2024 former minister Roshan Baig again sought the release of what he called "innocent boys" Deccan Herald. No decision to withdraw the cases was found in the reporting reviewed. No final compensation award by the claims commissioner was found either.
Questions people ask
What caused the DJ Halli and KG Halli violence?
A Facebook post about the Prophet by the MLA's nephew, and anger that police did not act at once. City police blamed a Congress rivalry; the NIA blamed an SDPI conspiracy.
How many people died?
Three men were killed in police firing. A fourth, an accused, died in custody days later; police said this was not caused by firing.
Was the SDPI involved?
The NIA chargesheet and the magisterial report, as described by Deccan Herald, said it was. The SDPI denied this and called the NIA case religiously biased. Most of the trial has not been completed.
Has anyone been convicted?
Yes. On 23 July 2025 an NIA court sentenced three men to seven years after they pleaded guilty over the KG Halli police station attack. The trial of the others was pending.
Sources
- Scroll: Bengaluru violence, three killed in police firing, Section 144 imposed, 12 Aug 2020
- Deccan Herald: SDPI denies role in Bengaluru violence, 12 Aug 2020
- The Wire: After delaying action on complaint, Bengaluru police probes role of SDPI, Aug 2020
- Scroll: SDPI's role has come into light, says Karnataka home minister, 13 Aug 2020
- Deccan Herald: Govt appoints Bengaluru Urban DC to probe riots, 13 Aug 2020
- ETV Bharat/PTI: Death toll reaches four in Bengaluru violence, 16 Aug 2020
- Scroll: Money for damages will be recovered from rioters, confirms Yediyurappa, 17 Aug 2020
- The News Minute: Karnataka HC appoints retired judge to assess damage, 28 Aug 2020
- LiveLaw: Karnataka HC appoints Retd Justice H S Kempanna as claims commissioner, 28 Aug 2020
- The News Minute/IANS: Muslim leaders meet CM, demand judicial probe, 16 Sept 2020
- The News Minute: Fact-finding committee says cops failed to act on time, 16 Sept 2020
- Business Standard/IANS: BJP gives clean chit to police, demands ban on SDPI, 2 Oct 2020
- The Wire/PTI: Former Congress mayor Sampath Raj named an accused in chargesheet, 14 Oct 2020
- The News Minute: Chargesheet says political rivalry within Congress led to riots, 16 Oct 2020
- The News Minute: Karnataka HC grants bail to Naveen, 22 Oct 2020
- Bar and Bench: Karnataka High Court grants bail to MLA's nephew, 23 Oct 2020
- Scroll: Former mayor and Congress leader Sampath Raj arrested, 17 Nov 2020
- The News Minute: NIA arrests 17 more SDPI, PFI members, 22 Dec 2020
- The News Minute: Former Mayor Sampath gets conditional bail, 13 Feb 2021
- The News Minute: Bengaluru violence was SDPI plan, says NIA chargesheet, 24 Feb 2021
- The News Minute: SDPI alleges religious bias by NIA, 26 Feb 2021
- The News Minute: HC grants bail to 115 accused, 17 June 2021
- The News Minute: DJ Halli accused say they were falsely accused under UAPA, 18 June 2021
- The News Minute/PTI: NIA arrests another SDPI member, 1 July 2021
- Deccan Herald: SC dismisses plea by Congress MLA against bail to 'architects' of violence, 23 Aug 2021
- National Herald/IANS: 2020 Bengaluru violence an act of terror, says Karnataka HC, 10 Aug 2022
- Deccan Herald: Claims Commission to submit report in 2 months, 11 Aug 2022
- Deccan Herald: Cabinet accepts magisterial probe report, 22 Dec 2022
- Deccan Herald: SDPI members acted like a 'terrorist gang', says report, 3 Jan 2023
- SCC Online: Can't keep chanting 'bail is rule' in every bail petition, 13 June 2023
- Deccan Herald: Karnataka govt mulls withdrawal of riot cases, 26 July 2023
- The News Minute: BJP opposes Congress decision to review cases over DJ Halli riots, 26 July 2023
- Deccan Herald: Roshan Baig bats for Muslim causes, 17 Oct 2024
- Deccan Herald: NIA court sentences 3 in KG Halli police station attack case, 23 July 2025
- The News Minute: Three get seven years rigorous imprisonment, 24 July 2025