Bengaluru: A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru on Thursday sentenced three men to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the 2020 violent mob attack on the KG Halli police station. The convicted individuals — Syed Ikramuddin, Syed Asif and Mohammed Atif — were also fined, the agency said in a statement.
The convicted trio, identified as supporters of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), had been found guilty of carrying out a pre-planned terror conspiracy to incite violence and spread fear in society, the NIA revealed.
The incident dates back to August 12, 2020, when a mob of nearly 600 to 800 agitators attacked the KG Halli police station in Bengaluru after a provocative Facebook post targeting Prophet Mohammed triggered communal unrest. The attackers tried to forcibly enter the police premises and threatened to kill officers for preventing them from lynching the accused in the social media post.
According to the NIA, during the attack, vehicles outside the station were set ablaze using petrol by the three convicts, in collaboration with district-level SDPI leaders. The aim was to instigate terror and cause large-scale damage, the agency said.
Following its takeover of the case from local police in September 2020, the NIA conducted a comprehensive probe and found sufficient evidence linking the trio to acts of terrorism, arson, and instigation. The total damage to public and private property was estimated at ₹14 lakh, according to official records.
The agency had filed a chargesheet in February 2021, and in June 2025, all three accused pleaded guilty to the charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code, and other provisions.
The NIA emphasized that the case highlights the organized efforts by banned outfits and their affiliates to target police institutions and destabilize peace and order in cities.
