K'tka Home Dept cites ‘no ground’ to revoke case against Hindutva Leader Puneeth Kerehalli
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Bengaluru: The Karnataka Home Department has reportedly cited a 'lack of sufficient grounds' to justify the continued detention of Hindutva leader Puneeth Kerehalli in a circular issued to Bengaluru Central Prison, instructing them to revoke the case against him and release him.
Puneeth Kerehalli had been arrested under the Goonda Act in connection with the murder of a Muslim man and for violating law and order.
The decision to release Puneeth Kerehalli was based on a report submitted by the State advisory board, which cited a "lack of sufficient ground" to continue detaining him under the Goonda Act. This marks the first instance in recent memory where the advisory board has denied a request for preventive detention.
Puneeth Kerehalli, a prominent figure associated with the self-styled cow vigilante group "Rastra Rakshna Pade," originally hails from the Hassan district of Karnataka but currently resides in the J P Nagar area of Bengaluru.
He has been embroiled in legal troubles, with 10 criminal cases filed against him between 2013 and 2023.
Kerehalli gained notoriety for his extremist Hindutva views and was the prime accused in the murder of Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter in Sathanur village. Initially evading arrest for several days, he was eventually apprehended on April 5 in Rajasthan. However, he secured bail on May 16.
Despite being released on bail, Puneeth Kerehalli continued to share offensive posts on social media platforms, which were deemed to be provocatively communal by city police. As a result, he was arrested once again on August 11 under the Goonda Act.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that the city police are considering consulting legal counsel to explore the possibility of challenging the advisory board's decision.