A collective of concerned advocates, researchers, and social activists have sounded the alarm over rising incidents of cow vigilantism in Bengaluru in the days leading up to Eid, calling for immediate preventive action against those responsible.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, prominent civil rights lawyer B.T. Venkatesh and activists Vinay Sreenivasa, Zia Nomani, and Dr. Sylvia Karpagam highlighted recent alleged vigilantism carried out by Puneeth Kerehalli, a Hindutva activist with a history of violence.
According to the statement, Kerehalli conducted at least three self-styled ‘raids’ over the last three days in areas including Tannery Road, Ahmednagar, and Shivajinagar. He reportedly trespassed into private properties and seized cattle, livestreaming these acts on his Facebook page under the guise of “rescuing” animals. Although Kerehalli was briefly detained by R.R. Nagar police, he was released shortly afterward.
This is not Kerehalli’s first brush with the law. In 2023, he was arrested in connection with the death of a cattle transporter during a similar act of vigilantism.
The activists have submitted a formal complaint to the Bengaluru City police, urging authorities to place individuals like Kerehalli under preventive detention using provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) or the Goonda Act. They argue that such acts are less about animal welfare and more about criminal trespass, harassment, and communal provocation.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations and the communal sensitivities surrounding Eid, the group has criticized the Bengaluru police for their lack of urgency. “We physically submitted complaints to the offices of DCP West, East, and North, but officials refused to acknowledge them citing Bakrid holidays and lack of staff to receive tapal (official mail),” the statement read.
Activists say they have also emailed the complaint to top officials, including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, ADGP (Law & Order), and the Karnataka Home Minister. Yet, there has been no official response so far.
Meanwhile, the Mangaluru City police have taken independent action. “They have registered a suo motu FIR against Puneeth Kerehalli for inflammatory communal remarks made during one of his Facebook livestreams,” said activist Zia Nomani. “He referred to Muslim-majority areas in Bengaluru as ‘Pakistan’ — a blatant attempt to incite hatred.”
The group has called for swift and firm action to curb such vigilantism and ensure communal harmony during religious festivals.
