60 more held for Bengaluru riots, total over 200: Official

Police has arrested 60 more persons in connection with the Bengaluru riots, taking the total arrests to 206, including a woman corporator's husband, an official said on Friday.

"We have arrested 60 more persons for their role in the recent Bengaluru riots," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Jain told IANS.

Kaleem Pasha, one of the arrested persons, is the husband of Irshaad Begum, a corporator of Nagawara ward.

Of those arrested, 80 have been shifted to Ballari jail.

Meanwhile, seven police teams headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil are investigating the riots.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan said: "Every rioter and arsonist involved in any way will be hunted down by our government no matter where they are hiding."

He said the scale of the violence points to its organised nature.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of people ran amok after Pulikehsinagar's Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy's nephew Naveen posted a derogatory message on the social media.

The mobs pelted stones, injured 60 policemen, and committed acts of vandalism and arson in DJ Halli, KG Halli, Pulikeshinagar and Kaval Byrasandra areas, leaving the affected places resembling a war zone.