BENGALURU: The cybercrime police have booked cow vigilante and Hindutva activist Puneeth Kerehalli and his associates for allegedly spreading false information against Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) M.A. Saleem. This is the third FIR registered against Kerehalli in the last 10 days.
According to the FIR registered on January 23, Kerehalli, along with four to five associates, allegedly went to a property on Kempapura Shweta Farm Road near Soladevanahalli on January 22. The property belongs to Sakina Tasleem.
The accused are alleged to have made false claims that people from Bangladesh had been brought through human trafficking and were being illegally sheltered at the premises. They also allegedly claimed that the property was a ‘benami’ asset belonging to DG&IGP Saleem and further alleged that Bangladeshi Muslims were illegally residing in Bengaluru.
The FIR stated that the accused live-streamed the incident and circulated the video on social media platforms.
Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence or language) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is ongoing.
It may be recalled that Bannerghatta police arrested Kerehalli on January 16 for allegedly trespassing into a house and threatening the owner for renting the property to migrant tenants, whom he claimed were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.