Karnataka Govt withdraws 2022 Hubballi riot case; Islamist mob led by AIMIM leaders and Raza Academy members had laid siege at Old Hubli police station

The 2022 Hubbali riots were a significant incident of communal violence in Karnataka, triggered on April 16 after an Islamist mob, pelted stones at the Old Hubali police station, damaged police vehicles and attacked nearby structures, including a Hanuman temple and a hospital.

The 2022 Hubballi riot case gained renewed attention when the Karnataka government led by the Congress party decided to withdraw the case against the accused individuals, including leaders from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

The case, filed in October 2022, concerns leaders from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), including Mohammed Arif and others, who are accused of orchestrating a large mob of Muslims that stormed the Old Hubli police station and attacked police personnel on April 16. The violent mob not only pelted stones at the police station and police vehicles but also targeted a nearby Hanuman temple and a hospital, causing significant damage.

The Karnataka Government’s decision came despite the state’s Law and Police departments reportedly being opposed to the move.

This move followed a letter from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on October 4, 2023, addressed to the Additional Director General of Police, urging the case’s withdrawal. Reports indicate that Shivakumar’s request was forwarded to the state’s home department, which subsequently approved the decision.

Hubballi Riot case

The 2022 Hubbali riots were a significant incident of communal violence in Karnataka, triggered on April 16 after an Islamist mob gathered outside the Old Hubli police station, enraged over a social media post by a Hindu man, Abhishek Hiremath, which allegedly offended Islamic religious sentiments.

Despite Hiremath’s arrest, the mob believed the police were not acting swiftly or harshly enough, leading to widespread violence. The mob, composed of Muslim protestors, pelted stones at the police station, damaged police vehicles and attacked nearby structures, including a Hanuman temple and a hospital.

The unrest escalated further, reportedly fueled by a provocative speech delivered by controversial cleric Maulana Wasim, intensifying the mob’s aggression.

Investigations linked several members of the mob to Raza Academy, a radical Islamist organization previously involved in the 2012 Azad Maidan riots in Mumbai. The roles of several All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders in instigating the riots had also come to the forefront.

The mob’s violent actions, including attempts to harm police personnel, highlighted the severity of the situation. Police constables Anil Kandekar and Manjunath from Kasaba police station recounted narrowly escaping being lynched during the chaos.

The police registered 12 FIRs and arrested 158 individuals involved in the riots.

The “social organisation” Anjuman-e-Islami had decided to take up the legal fight on behalf of those arrested for the mob violence unleashed in Hubballi, Karnataka recently.

In December last year, 35 accused persons in the Old Hubballi riots case were granted bail. Seven juvenile offenders, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator Nazir Honya were out in bail.

The president of Anjuman-E-Islam, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mohammed Yousuf Savanur, confirmed that the court had earlier granted bail to 11 other accused persons as well.

The recent decision by the Congress government in Karnataka to withdraw the case, despite opposition from the Law and Police departments, has reignited debate over accountability and justice. The move comes amidst concerns about the state’s handling of communal violence and its long-term implications for law enforcement and communal harmony.