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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Case against cow vigilante Puneeth Kerehalli

The VV Puram police have registered a case against cow vigilante Puneeth Kerehalli for allegedly trying to create a law and order problem.

Based on a complaint by J. Hemaraj, general secretary, KPCC campaigning committee, the police registered an FIR against Puneeth Kerehalli charging him under Section 505(1) (B) ( offending act induces or is likely to induce any person to commit offence against State or against public tranquility) of the IPC recently.

This is the second case against Puneeth ever since he was admitted to Victoria Hospital from Freedom Park, where he had staged a hunger strike demanding apology from the State government for trying to implicate him under the Goonda Act. Earlier, he was booked for threatening police officials who went to record his statement at the hospital and he allegedly misbehaved with them, refusing to take treatment.

However, during his stay in hospital, several Hindutva leaders and activists visited him, where he demanded that they get any leader from the ruling party to visit him and apologise. He also told them that if he was released, he would pelt stones at the Vidhana Soudha and set fire to a bus. His statements went viral on social media as one of the visitors recorded the conversation and uploaded it.

Based on the case, the VV Puam police issued a notice to Puneeth to appear before them for questioning, but he replied to the notice seeking more time citing health grounds. “After the time period, we will issue another notice to him,” a police officer said.

It may be recalled that the CCB arrested him under Goonda Act in August and after nearly five weeks of his arrest, the Home Department revoked the case following a report by the State advisory board that there was a “lack of sufficient grounds“ to book him under the law and asked him to be released from custody.

With the latest case, Puneeth has around one dozen cases pending against him and the police are contemplating to appeal against the decision of the Home Department.

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