Forensics confirms video, 3 held for pro-Pak sloganeering

Incident happened in K’taka Assembly corridors after RS polls

BENGALURU: Three people have been arrested for allegedly raising 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans in the Vidhana Soudha corridors on February 27, police said on Monday.

Supporters of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain allegedly shouted pro-Pakistan slogans after his victory in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an investigation by government-run Forensic Science Laboratory to check the veracity of the allegations.

Based on the FSL report, the police arrested three persons.

Police sources said one of the accused hails from RT Nagar in Bengaluru, the second one from Byadagi in Haveri district and the third accused is from Delhi.

The accused from Byadagi is said to be a chilli merchant.

Meanwhile, the BJP posted on its social media handle an investigation report prepared by private laboratory Clue4 Evidence Forensic Investigations and signed by audio forensic examiner Phaneendar B N on behalf of city based 'Samvada Foundation', a notfor-profit organisation allegedly linked to the RSS.

In his opinion, Phaneendar said the examined video of the incident is "not tampered/doctored in between and is a result of single capture."

The inference drawn by him is: "To the limited extent of the question in this case, being whether if it was Nasir (sic) Saab Zindabad' or 'Pakistan Zindabad', the above analysis indicates that it is highly probable to be 'Pakistan Zindabad'."

State Home Minister G Parameshwara sought to know whether the private person who prepared the report had his own laboratory and had done the analysis.

"We will find out with whose permission they are doing it, who gave him 'No Objection Certificate' and is he authorised to make such reports public," the home minister said.

He said the report of the state government's own FSL would be made public once it is submitted. "If the report says that such a slogan was raised, then we will take action immediately. There is no question of hiding it, as alleged by the BJP."

Slamming the Congress for its alleged "lies", the BJP said the private lab's report has revealed that the creators of fake news are Congressmen who spread lies by distorting the truth. On social media platform, the party labelled Minister Priyank Kharge the "head of the anti-national @INCKarnataka and fake news factory", and said he should apologise to Kannadigas.

IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said this was not an ordinary case because it is claimed that an 'anti-national' slogan was shouted.

Responding to the BJP's allegations, he said, "the government should have answered, but the BJP getting the forensic report from a private institution and making it public is an anti-national act."