Mysuru, May 16
The Karnataka Police are investigating a life threat issued to a cow vigilante and Hindu activist, Puneeth Kerehalli.
The Udayagiri Police in Mysuru have registered an FIR against one Akram Khan and others in this connection and are currently probing the case, police said on Friday.
In his complaint, Puneeth stated that he received a WhatsApp call during which the caller threatened to kill him in retaliation for the murder of Idrees Pasha. Subsequently, the accused allegedly posted a message on social media that read, "Next you."
Puneeth and his associates are accused of the death of Idrees Pasha, which occurred during an alleged cow rescue operation on April 1, 2023.
Puneeth was arrested along with four others in the case and has since been granted conditional bail by the Karnataka High Court.
According to reports, Puneeth and his team intercepted a vehicle transporting cows near Sathanur town on March 31, 2023.
Pasha was driving the vehicle carrying the cows.
Puneeth and his team had rescued the cows and even shared a video in this regard.
However, Pasha's body was later found about 200 metres away from the vehicle, and it is alleged that Puneeth and his associates beat him to death.
The jurisdictional Sathanur Police registered three FIRs in the case and booked Puneeth under IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 302 (murder), and 34 (common intention). Puneeth has denied the allegations of assaulting Idrees Pasha.
The development of open death threats against Puneeth Kerehalli comes amid a series of similar threats directed at Hindu activists following the murder of former Bajrang Dal activist Suhas Shetty.
Following Shetty's murder, Hindu activists Bharat Kumdel and Sharan Pumpwell have also reportedly received threats on social media, warning that they would be targeted next.
Bharat Kumdel, a Bajrang Dal worker, was threatened, stating that people "have not forgotten Bharat who killed Mohammad Ashraf."
The post addressing him stated, "wait and watch" with a photo of a sword. Mohammad Ashraf was a victim of a recent mob lynching incident for allegedly raising a "Pakistan Zindabad" slogan in Mangaluru.
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) senior leader Sharan Pumpwell has lodged a police complaint with Kadri police station in Mangaluru regarding a threat to his life on social media.
The post stated that the next target was Sharan Pumpwell, and he should get ready. The police have filed an FIR under Section 351 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act over the post.
Karnataka BJP had expressed concern over alleged open threats to Hindu activists in Mangaluru.
BJP state unit President, B.Y. Vijayendra, stated on Monday, "The brutal murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty has shocked the people of Mangaluru district. Citizens across the state are anxious due to the unchecked dominance of communal forces."
Vijayendra claimed, "The Congress government continues to fail in fulfilling its moral responsibility. It has taken no legal action to bring law and order under control. The silence of the Home Department and the influence of invisible, powerful 'hands' behind the scenes have become evident through the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty and the subsequent threats."
On the other hand, Riyaz Kadambu, the leader attached to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), had also filed a complaint with the Pandeshwara police station over the issuance of a threat to his life.
He had stated to the police that while he was on a programme on a YouTube channel, he got a threatening message that he was the next target. The threat had been issued by one K. R. Rakesh, and the police are investigating the case.
