The National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched 30 locations in Bengaluru on Thursday in connection with the violence in the DJ Halli and KG Halli areas last month and arrested one Sayed Saddiq Ali, whom officials said was a key conspirator.

The NIA said Ali is a bank recovery agent and was absconding since the August 11 riots that was unleashed in the city by hundreds of people and had claimed at least three lives and injured 40 police personnel.

Over 3,000 people had gone on a rampage torching the residences of Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, his sister Jayanthi and Devara Jeevanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police stations.

The action came days after the NIA took over the investigation into two cases in which the city police has invoked the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. During searches, airgun, pellets, sharp weapons, iron rods, digital devices, DVRs and many documents related to Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) have been seized, the NIA said.

The violence was said to have been triggered over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by a relative of Murthy, who represents the Pulakeshinagar constituency.

Earlier, police had found evidence suggesting that several accused in the case had links with those accused of terror or communal attacks in the past, including the Church Street bomb blast in Bengaluru in December 2014.

Police sources said that over 380 people had been arrested in cases related to riots in the KG Halli area, and several have links with organisations such as SDPI and also Al Hind, a splinter terror group.

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