Karnataka: Hindutva leader Puneeth Kerehalli arrested under Goonda Act released.

Goonda Act against Hindutva Leader Puneeth Kerehalli revoked by Karnataka Home Department. 

Puneeth was arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter allegedly linked with cow slaughter racket.  

B Upendran | HENB | Bengaluru | Sept 18, 2023:: The Karnataka’s home department on Saturday issued a circular, instructing officials of Bengaluru Central Prison to release and revoke the case against Hindutva leader, Puneeth Kerehalli (32), who was arrested under the Goonda Act for his alleged involvement in the murder of Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter allegedly linked with cow slaughter racket. 

The department said there was a “lack of sufficient ground” to book him under the law. The decision was made on the basis of a report submitted by the State advisory board.

This is the first time in the recent past that the advisory board has denied a request for preventive detention of a person.

Bengaluru police commissioner, B Dayananda responded to the advisory board’s decision by saying that the city police would soon consult legal counsel about the potential of challenging the judgment.

Puneeth Kerehalli is a leader of Rastra Rakshna Pade, a self-styled cow protection group. He hails from the Alur taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka, however, currently lives in the J P Nagar area. Puneeth has several cases filed between 2013 and 2023 pending against him. He has 10 criminal cases — seven in B’luru and one each in Mandya, Hampi and Bengaluru Rural district — registered against him.

Puneeth Kerehalli, known for his hard-core Hindutva views, is the prime accused in the murder of a Muslim man, Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter in Sathanur village. He initially managed to avoid arrest for several days before being arrested on April 5 in Rajasthan. However, he secured a bail on May 16.

Despite being released on bail, Puneeth continued to share offensive posts that were deemed to be provocatively communal on social media platforms. According to city police, he continued to pose a potential threat to law and order and was arrested again on August 11 under the Goonda Act.

Interacting with the media persons in Bangalore Press Club on Monday, Puneeth denied his involvement in the ‘alleged charges’ leveled by the police and narrated the police repression upon the Hindutva activists.

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__Inputs from News18 Kannada and Agencies.