Following the arrest of Puneeth Kerehalli, accused in the murder of the cattle transporter Idrees Pasha in Karnataka’s Ramanagara, two more persons have come forward alleging that he assaulted them and attempted to extort money. The victims, Rafeeq and Aleemulla Baig, who are cattle transporters too, mustered the courage to lodge a complaint against the group of Hindutva extremists led by Puneeth after they heard the news of his arrest on April 5. The alleged cow vigilante attack occurred on March 20 when the two cattle transporters were ambushed by the Hindutva extremists near Electronic City in Bengaluru. The attackers accused them of illegal cattle transportation and demanded a hefty sum of Rs 1 lakh for their release. When Rafeeq and Aleemulla said that they were unable to pay the extortion amount, they were subjected to assault and torture by the perpetrators.
Fearing reprisal, the cattle transporters initially refrained from reporting the assault to the police. Aleemulla filed a formal complaint with the Bengaluru police on April 6, detailing the gruesome assault and naming Puneeth and his associates as the perpetrators. He said, "We were scared to even tell the police about the assault. I didn't want to make it a big issue. Once I saw the news of his arrest, I was relieved and decided to file a complaint." The police have registered a case against Puneeth and his associates under charges of assault, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, and other relevant sections of the law.
TNM spoke to the cattle transporters who revealed allegations that were not part of the FIR. The victims said that Puneeth initially demanded Rs 1 lakh for letting them go. He confiscated their van’s key and phone and used a stun gun on Aleemulla (the helper on the van) while verbally abusing them. "He insisted that I pay him Rs 1 lakh, but I told him that I couldn't afford it. Then, they attacked me and prevented me from leaving the van,” Rafeeq, the van’s driver said.
Puneeth also live-streamed the assault on social media, which later went viral. The video showed Puneeth using a stun gun on Aleemulla, who was lying defenceless in a hammock inside the vehicle. Despite Aleemulla's desperate pleas for mercy, Puneeth continued to inflict pain using the stun gun. Aleemulla could be heard saying, "Please let me go. I only took this job due to financial difficulties," but to no avail.
Speaking to TNM, advocate BT Venkatesh stressed that assault is unjustifiable, and vigilantes are abusing the law by taking matters into their own hands. He said, "Puneeth Kerehalli, who recorded the assault on video, should have been held accountable by the police. Why did the police delay taking action despite the evidence being available online?"
Puneeth had filed a complaint against the cattle transporters under the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, after the violent incident. Rafeeq and Aleemulla were taken into police custody. After being released on bail on March 28, the cattle transporters learned of Puneeth’s arrest in the murder of Idrees Pasha. Pasha’s body had burn marks on it, raising suspicions that a stun gun had been used. Puneeth is currently in police custody for the murder.
Puneeth Kerehalli, the leader of the far-right Hindutva group Rashtra Rakshana Pade, has a history of intercepting cattle transport vehicles and boasting about ‘rescuing’ cattle. His Facebook profile is filled with videos of him intercepting cattle transportation and proclaiming his love for cows. With close ties to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerehalli has been aggressively campaigning against Muslim vendors near Hindu temples and opposing the consumption of halal food in Karnataka. His group takes advantage of the Karnataka law that prohibits cattle transportation for slaughter, except for terminally ill cattle and buffaloes above the age of 13. Even legal cattle transportation has been made dangerous by the actions of self-proclaimed 'cow protectors,' warn activists.
Watch: The murder of a cattle transporter by Hindutva extremists in Karnataka