Karnataka police on Saturday granted bail to Hindu activist Punit Kerehalli, who was arrested for allegedly entering the homes of migrant workers, intimidating them, and pressuring landlords. Kerehalli was earlier the prime accused in the March 2023 murder of cattle transporter Idris Pasha in Ramnagar district.
According to police, Kerehalli and his associates unlawfully entered homes in the Dodathoguru area of Bengaluru, attempting to intimidate landlords and demand identification documents from workers. A video that went viral on social media shows Kerehalli asking the workers, “Which country are you from?” while his associates threatened them, calling them “Bangladeshi.”
The civil rights group, Campaign Against Hate Speech, has sent a complaint to the Karnataka Director General of Police, alleging that Kerehalli’s actions fall under illegal entry, spreading communal hatred, and interfering with police duties. The group has demanded immediate criminal action.
Social activists have warned that such self-appointed identity checks and intimidation campaigns put migrant and poor communities at risk and pose a challenge to the rule of law.
