Bengaluru Civil Society Organisations release fact-finding report on DJ Halli, KG Halli violence
Bengaluru: A report on the violence that ensued on the night of August 11th, 2020 titled ‘Communalising Violence in DJ Halli’ was released today in the presence of (Retd.) Justice Nagamohan Das, Indudhara Honnapura (Senior Journalist & Editor, Samvada), Lakshmi Murthy (Independent Journalist), Abdussalam Puttige (Chief Editor, Vartha Bharathi Kannada Daily) and several members of the Bangalore Fact-Finding team, who all shared their views.
“This report brings out several truths. This report is not the end, on its authority, we must inquire into the truth and find out who is behind the violence, and who all failed to act. There are people who profit from the riot as well. We must find out those who are responsible. We must further tolerance,” said (Retd.) Justice H.N. Nagmohan Das.
Adding to this, Indudhara Honnapura said, “There was an opportunity to stop this, but the Government and the Police failed to do so. Everyone, including the police, knew this is a sensitive area. There are many good officers, but I do not understand why they did not send sufficient police force to control the incident. Why didn’t the Government provide information to the police?”
Sharing her views and the way forward for the report, Independent Journalist Lakshmi Murthy said that it opens up a lot of questions for what we must do as a citizenry, for the media and social media as well. She felt that the report covers the inadequacies that were left out from the media narrative, and is a documentation of history unfolding before us. She said, “Five years from now we will think of how this happened under our noses.”
Abdussalam Puttige shared that “Several truths have come out through the report. The police responsibilities, their inaction, and their role in failing to contain the violence has been detailed. People will not know the truth about the incident through this report”. He also highlighted how people are losing faith in the system, and that before a complete investigation, certain organizations are being made the scapegoat for the incident.
In response to questions of the media regarding the delay in releasing the report, fact-finding team member Swathi Seshadri shared that the team was delayed due to the prohibitory orders and Section 144 imposed in the area and thereafter to cover the voices of all stakeholders as well as ensuring thorough investigation took time. “Getting appointments from officials and talking to people from all spectrums was time-consuming,” she added.
Another question was in regard to the appointment of the claims commissioner who would recover damages from innocent persons who were arrested, who are daily-wage earners. To this, (Retd.) Justice Nagmohan Das responded that as far as recovering damages is concerned, it is an evolving law in India. In respect of those falsely arrested, he mentioned that the courts have passed judgments asking governments to pay compensation for police atrocities, subsequent to this, officers involved in the atrocity are made to undergo disciplinary proceedings. Thereafter, the amount is recovered from the erring officers. “There are court precedents and it is a developing law in the country to compensate innocent persons,” he said.
The report will be submitted to the Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, and others.
Some recommendations of the Fact-Finding Committee which was shared are as follows: -
- The scope of the investigation against Naveen’s Facebook post must be widened, including an inquiry into the failure of the police to take immediate action against Naveen.
- An immediate socio-economic survey must be conducted in the two concerned police station limits to assess the loss of livelihoods, nutrition, health, and shelter post the lock-down, and measures must be taken to ensure that livelihood needs, shelter needs, and nutritional needs are addressed.
- Form Peace Committees comprise all communities to restore peace in the areas.
- The charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) invoked against the accused must be immediately withdrawn.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Suspected drones observed along IB in Jammu's Samba, being engaged: Army
Jammu, May 12 (PTI): Security forces are engaging suspected drones observed along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu region on Monday, an Army said.
This fresh incident of drone activity along the borderline comes barely hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.
The Army, however, said there is no need to be alarmed.
“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in J&K. They are being engaged,” it said.
In the backdrop of the situation, several areas witnessed blackouts in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu.
Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.
On Monday, talks between the DGMOs were held during which issues related to the continuing commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive or inimical action against each other were discussed, the Indian Army said.
It was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction along the borders and in forward areas, it added.
The situation remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, with no incidents of ceasefire violation reported along the Indo-Pak border Sunday overnight — marking the first calm night after 18 days of hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people — mostly tourists — dead.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.
Eighteen days of intense hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, ended with a ceasefire that restored calm along the Line of Control, the International Border, and the hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army thwarted Pakistan’s Hamas-style kamikaze drone attacks during the escalation.
Since the night of April 24, hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani troops repeatedly targeted Indian positions along the LoC — beginning in the Kashmir Valley and quickly expanding to the Jammu region.
The latest hostilities began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The firing affected five border districts — Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.
The recent round of cross-border firing further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which has largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan’s frequent violations along the 740-km-long LoC.
The April 22 terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, triggered a strong response from the central government.
The India-Pakistan border stretches over 3,300 kilometers, divided into three segments: the International Border (IB), spanning about 2,400 km from Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir; and the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which separates the Siachen Glacier region.
WATCH: OP Sindoor continues. Minutes after PM Speech.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 12, 2025
A small numbers of suspected drones being observed near Samba in J&K. Being engaged . pic.twitter.com/jmGmRkmQ26
