Murder accused Puneeth Kerehalli who is absconding, has released a video claiming that he has not killed cattle trader Idrees Pasha. While police have been unable to trace him, Puneeth managed to put out a 15-minute video rant about a political conspiracy responsible for him being named as the main accused in the murder of Idrees. The cattle trader was killed allegedly by cow vigilantes on April 1. The FIR registered at the Sathanur police station on April 1 names Puneeth Kerehalli as the main accused.
A video posted by a Facebook page on April 3, called Karnataka Suddi, shows Kerehalli sitting in a car and saying that he has not killed Idrees Pasha but was being framed by Congress and JD(S) leaders to sway Muslim voters.
“My phone was switched off after visiting multiple temples. I came to know about the case only after switching my phone on. There’s been an FIR registered against me. I will willingly come before the police and cooperate with the investigation because I am not afraid of anything. I will deal with questions in a straightforward manner. I will always protect cows and even in the future I will do it,” he says in the video. Despite his claims of being available for police questioning, Puneeth makes no mention of surrendering.
Cattle trader Idrees Pasha was found dead after being allegedly murdered by Hindutva activists. Another of Idrees’ associates was also physically assaulted. The three had been stopped by cow vigilantes in Sathanur village in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district, while they were transporting cattle from Mandya to Tamil Nadu. The police have booked Puneeth Kerehalli and four others in connection with the case.
The FIR filed by Idrees’s brother Yunus Pasha states that Idrees showed documentation to prove the cattle was purchased from the local market, but Puneeth demanded money before assaulting him. Social media photographs showing Puneeth's proximity to prominent BJP leaders in Karnataka, including Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and BJP national secretary CT Ravi, have also come to light.
“From late night on Friday, I live-streamed the incident on Facebook and many have watched it. I stayed with the police until the cows were released at the matha at 5 am on Saturday. Would I have gone to the police if I had killed someone? We have not killed anyone. The post-mortem report will give the answer,' he further claimed.
After the murder, people from the Muslim community held a massive protest in Mandya on Sunday, April 2 to protest against the crime. Protestors on bikes took out a rally while hundreds were seen walking on the streets together.