Key accused in cattle trader’s death in K’tka has links with Sangh: Report

Bengaluru: Puneeth Kerehalli who is accused of the murder of a Muslim man over an alleged cattle transportation in Bengaluru is said to have strong links with the Sangh Parivar. He is also accused of raising religious issues, raking up multiple cases, and hanging around BJP leaders in Karnataka, a report published in The Indian Express said.

Yunus Pasha, the younger brother of Idrees Pasha, who was killed in an attack while transporting cattle by Kerehalli's gang, alleged on Monday that Idrees was electrocuted.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Yunus stated that Idrees had burn marks on his chest and back, indicating that he was assaulted.

Ramanagara district SP Karthik Reddy stated that they were waiting for the post-mortem report and that Kerehalli and his associates have not been arrested yet. He added that they have formed teams to catch them and have booked a case against them under IPC Sections 302, 341, 504, 324, etc.

Yunus also accused Kerehalli and his gang of demanding Rs 2 lakh to release the vehicle and attacking them when they refused, in the FIR he lodged.

According to police sources, the accused may have used a stun gun to prevent Idrees from escaping, like his two associates. Kerehalli has posted videos in the past posing with a baseball bat and stun gun while intercepting vehicles carrying cattle.

In a series of tweets, former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah called Idrees’s killing "an orchestrated act to light up communal flares & polarize the electorate ahead of the elections" and held Home Minister Jnanendra Araga directly responsible.

The BJP spokesperson M G Mahesh said that there are also rumours that Idrees's death was natural, and only a probe could determine what had happened.

Regarding the allegations of Kerehalli's links to the BJP, Mahesh stated, "I have been associated with the BJP for the last 40 years. There are a lot of people who work for the party, and I am not sure about Puneeth Kerehalli’s association."

A police officer mentioned that Kerehalli, who is in his 30s, worked as a taxi driver in Bengaluru when he became a member of associations representing drivers. He reportedly first came in contact with BJP leaders while raising their demands during rounds of political party offices.

According to a fellow driver who knew Kerehalli, he built his social profile with targeted attacks on known influencers and local activists, usually giving them a caste or religious angle, and posting provocative videos. People started following him, and he started attending RSS events subsequently.