Bengaluru cow vigilante leader Puneet Kerehalli detained under Goonda Act

As the battle against extremist cow vigilantes gains momentum in India, the Bengaluru city crime branch recently took the significant step of invoking the Goonda Act against Puneet Kerehalli, a known radical leader of a cow protection group, ‘Rashtra Rakshana Pade’. Facing numerous pending cases across several police stations in Karnataka, the 35-year-old Bengaluru resident, notorious for his intolerant and self-declared vigilantism associated with cow protection, was detained on Saturday.

Kerehalli’s arrest under the Goonda Act came in the wake of his intentional and calculated participation in numerous criminal activities, which notably involved cases of extortion conducted under the facade of cow protection. His regular targets were those involved in cow slaughter and transportation. His disruptive activities caused a sense of intimidation and terror within the business community, significantly affecting their operations.

The Bengaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) reported, “Despite receiving a show cause notice from the west division police earlier in connection with his involvement in numerous anti-social activities post his bail release in a murder case, Kerehalli continued his illicit actions. Prompted by his ceaseless involvement in such activities, a detention order was issued on Friday and promptly implemented.”

It is Kerehalli’s persistent involvement in law-breaking activities and instigation of a fear climate contravening peace, communal harmony, and public order that led to his arrest under the Goonda Act. The CCB statement explained, “His primary targets were cow slaughterers and transporters, thereby acting as a formidable threat to the peaceful maneuverings of the business community.”

Kerehalli has a chequered criminal history dating back to 2013, with a total of ten cases filed against him. According to police records, his malevolent actions span at least six separate incidents in 2021 alone, constituting serious charges including murder, assault, and criminal intimidation. His most recent reported crime is linked to the killing of Idrees Pasha, aged 39 years, a cattle transporter, in March this year.

A senior police officer confirmed that procedures against Kerehalli were initiated by the west division of Bengaluru on June 26. Evaluation of a comprehensive police report highlighting Kerehalli’s involvement in multiple cases and disruptive activities led to the formal request for his intercession.

In a response to the rise in cow vigilantism, on June 22, Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, urged law enforcement to crack down on these extralegal activities impacting the law and order situation. He underscored the reality check needed by vigilantes, oblivious of the challenges farmers face.

Kerehalli’s unlawful interference in a cattle transportation incident on March 20, within the Electronic City police jurisdiction, forms another case against him. Aleemulla Baig, the victimized transporter, lodged a formal complaint specifying the forced halt of his vehicle on Hosur Road by Kerehalli and his associates. The subsequent assault upon Baig and his driver, including stun gun administered electric shocks, exemplify the vigilante style justice Kerehalli endorsed.

Another case against Kerehalli includes his alleged illegal attempt to install a religious statue at Begur Lake, defying a court order intent on conserving the lake’s ecosystem. A senior officer explained the invocation of the Goonda Act enabled police to exercise their authority for preventive custody in such potential situations, thereby ensuring maintaining public peace and harmony.