K’taka HC grants conditional bail to Puneeth Kerehalli, four others in Idrees Pasha Murder case
Bengaluru: In a recent update, the Karnataka High Court has granted conditional bail to Puneeth Kerehalli and four other individuals involved in the murder case of Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter. The accused, who had been evading arrest, were apprehended in Rajasthan on April 5. The bail order was issued by Justice MG Uma, who presided over a vacation bench and considered three separate petitions submitted by the defendants.
Puneeth Kerehalli and his co-accused were charged by the Ramanagara police for their alleged participation in the murder of Idrees Pasha. The charges against them include Sections 302 (Murder), 341 (Wrongful Restraint), and 504 (Intentional Insult with Intent to Provoke Breach of the Peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on a complaint lodged by Pasha's family members.
The tragic incident occurred when Idrees Pasha and his two associates were intercepted by cow vigilantes in Sathanur village, of Ramanagara district. Idrees Pasha lost his life during the incident, purportedly at the hands of Hindutva extremists. Furthermore, one of his companions suffered physical assault.
During the court proceedings, Advocate Arun Shyam, representing the petitioner, highlighted that the post-mortem examination of Idrees Pasha's body revealed only minor scratches, with no significant injuries reported. The advocate argued that crucial information regarding the location of the deceased's body, approximately 100 meters away from the Sathanur police station, should have been communicated to the police at an earlier stage.
Compelling videos shared on social media allegedly show Puneeth Kerehalli engaging in "cow vigilante" activities, employing a stun gun to inflict pain. Burn marks were also discovered on Idrees Pasha's body. Puneeth Kerehalli has been photographed alongside prominent leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka. The First Information Report (FIR) indicates that Pasha possessed valid documentation confirming the legality of the cattle he was transporting from the local market. Nevertheless, Puneeth and his associates allegedly continued to intimidate him, demanding a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release, while issuing threats to his life if the demanded amount was not paid.
The conditional bail granted by the Karnataka High Court to Puneeth Kerehalli and the four co-accused marks a significant development in the ongoing case. The court proceedings will persist, and further investigations will be conducted to ascertain all relevant details and gather additional evidence. The outcome of this case will be closely monitored, as it holds implications for justice and the efforts to address vigilantism in the state.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
