Senior Congress leader and former Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj, a key accused in a case related to the communal violence that broke out in the city in August, was arrested on Monday by the Central Crime Branch, News18 reported. Raj had gone missing on October 30 from a private hospital in Bengaluru where he was undergoing treatment for the coronavirus.

“Sampath Raj has been arrested,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil. “Further details will be given tomorrow [Tuesday].”

Raj was taken to the Central Crime Branch office in Bengaluru after his arrest, ANI reported.

Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar alleged that Raj’s arrest was planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, ANI reported. “It’s their agenda to do this, it’s a clear message of targeting Congress leaders,” Shivakumar said.

Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, whose property was damaged in the violence, said that people who rioted should be punished. “Those who committed the mistakes – police stations, vehicles and houses were burnt – should be punished,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. “I am not happy. My 50-year-old house, built by my parents was burnt down.”

Karnataka minister Jagdish Shettar, on the other hand, said that Raj was arrested in accordance with the law. “He was absconding for last one month,” Shettar said. “He is the main accused in KJ Halli & DJ Halli incidents. Law will take its own course.”

Three people were killed and at least 60 were injured in violence that erupted in Bengaluru in August after a mob attacked the residence of Murthy. The violence broke out over a derogatory Facebook post allegedly made by Murthy’s nephew against Prophet Muhammad. The riots saw arson, vandalism and stone-pelting targeting the politician’s house and police stations at DJ Halli and KG Halli.

More than 300 people were arrested for the violence and a preliminary chargesheet filed by the police in October said that intra-party rivalry within Congress was what instigated it, according to PTI. Raj and Abdul Zakir, another Congress corporator, were among the key accused named.

On November 13, the Karnataka High Court had issued a non-bailable warrant for Raj, according to the Hindustan Times. The court had directed the investigating officer handling the case to take all possible steps to find Raj and arrest him. The High Court also sought a report on the steps taken to trace the accused, in a sealed envelope, during the next hearing on November 25. Raj’s anticipatory bail plea is pending before the court.

The National Investigation Agency is also investigating the matter and had arrested the prime accused in the case in September. On September 22, the investigation agency named Social Democratic Party of India’s district secretary Muzammil Pasha for “instigating the mob” in the city. The group is the political arm of the Popular Front of India, a Muslim organisation that describes itself on its Facebook page as working for equal rights, freedom, justice and security for all Indians. The Karnataka government had also blamed the group for the violence.