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Days after a Muslim man in Karnataka died after allegedly being attacked by cow vigilantes, the police said they have formed four teams to nab the accused. Incidentally, on Tuesday, prime accused Puneeth Kerehalli, a rightwing activist, released a video claiming innocence.
Kerehalli and four of his associates allegedly stopped Pasha’s vehicle near Sathanur suspecting him of carrying cattle illegally and attacked him and his associates. Pasha’s body was discovered approximately 100 metres from the spot at around 8 am on Saturday. His brother subsequently filed a police complaint.
On Tuesday, Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Karthik Reddy said Kerehalli is currently on the run and a search is underway to locate him.
The cause of Pasha’s death will be determined after the post-mortem report is obtained, according to Reddy. He also said the case is being investigated in an impartial manner and that there has been no political interference.
On Tuesday, a video emerged where Kerehalli can be seen sitting inside a car and explaining why his phone was switched off after Pasha’s murder came to light. Kerehalli says he had been visiting temples and had turned his phone off. He said he learned about the murder only after turning his phone on and that he is willing to cooperate with the police investigation.
He claimed the incident was a political vendetta against him and accused the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) of being responsible for Pasha’s murder.
Kerehalli promised to answer all questions honestly and straightforwardly. He also asserted that he would always protect cows and would continue to do so in the future.
He also said he had live-streamed the incident on Facebook and had cooperated with the police until 5 am on Saturday when the cattle from Pasha’s vehicle was safely released.