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I thought he had escaped: colleague of Karnataka man killed by cow vigilantes

Pasha’s family members staged a protest on Saturday urging authorities to arrest the accused and take stern action against them.

Puneeth Kerehalli, cow vigilante attack, Karnataka, Ramanagara district

A right-wing activist, Puneeth Kerehalli runs an organisation called the Rashtra Rakshana Pade (Nation Protection Army).

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Syed Zaheer, Idrees Pasha, and Irfan were taking cattle from Karnataka’s Ramanagara district on Friday night to sell them in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, when they were allegedly assaulted by cow vigilantes led by right-wing activist Puneeth Kerehalli.

While speaking to The Indian Express on Sunday, Zaheer, 40, said they usually take the cattle to sell in Tamil Nadu and Kerala during weekly fairs.

“It was around 11.40 pm [on Friday] we were travelling in our Eicher lorry with 16 cattle when some people claiming to be cow vigilantes intercepted us right in front of the Sathanur police station. They started asking us to go to Pakistan and attacked us. Pasha and Irfan ran away but I stayed there. Fortunately, a police constable rushed towards looking at the commotion and took us to the police station.”

“While I was at the police station on Saturday morning, the police showed me a photo of Pasha and asked whether I knew him. I told them he was my colleague and was in the same lorry when the incident took place. They told me he was dead. I thought they had escaped,” he added.

Pasha’s family members staged a protest on Saturday urging authorities to arrest the accused and take stern action against them.

According to Zaheer, while the cattle belongs to someone else, Pasha and he used to drive the vehicle and Irfan helped in loading and unloading the animals. The owner of the vehicle has its documents, he added.

Asked why Pasha and Irfan ran when attacked, Zaheer said, “In these cases, they (cow vigilantes) first assault us badly and then take us to the police station. In order to escape from the assault, we run away.”

Based on Kerehalli’s complaint, the Sathanur police have booked Zaheer and others under sections of the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Prevention Act, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Transportation of Animals Act, and Motor Vehicles Act.

A police official confirmed a murder case has been registered against Kerehalli and his associates and that investigations are underway. The police are yet to nab the accused.

On Sunday morning, Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Karthik Reddy held a meeting. After the meeting, a police official said Pasha’s body was found a few metres away from the police station and that a team of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) visited the spot and is trying to ascertain the reason behind his death. The official said they are yet to receive a report.

Reddy did not respond to the calls and messages.

Who is Puneeth Kerehalli?

A right-wing activist, Kerehalli runs an organisation called the Rashtra Rakshana Pade (Nation Protection Army). In the past, Kerehalli has launched campaigns against halal in Karnataka and also for banning Muslim traders from Hindu temple fairs.