BENGALURU: Even as thousands of grieving fans continued to flock the Sri Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday to pay their final respects to Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the last rites of the actor will be conducted with state honours at the Dr Rajkumar Punyabhoomi in Kanteerava Studios on Sunday. The decision was taken after discussions with Puneeth’s elder brothers Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar and other family members, he said.
Bommai also appealed to the actor’s fans to maintain peace so that all get to pay their respects to the actor till the procession reaches Kanteerava Studios near Nandini Layout on Outer Ring Road. While the police will continue to be deployed across the city, mainly on roads leading from the Sri Kanteerava Stadium to Kanteerava Studios, where Puneeth Rajkumar will be laid to rest next to his parents, Dr Rajkumar and Parvathamma Rajkumar, Home Minister Araga Jnanedra said that 50 KSRP platoons, along with the city police have been deployed to ensure no untoward incidents take place.
Also, the Rapid Action Force teams will lead the procession, which will pass through Mysuru Bank Circle, Palace Road, Chalukya Circle, Cauvery Junction and Goraguntepalya. Meanwhile, based on the family’s request, only family, relatives and VIPs will be allowed to enter Kanteerava Studios and the public will not be allowed, a senior police officer from North Division said. The family is said to have requested the authorities to allow the public to pay their visit to the late actor at Kanteerava Stadium till 6 am on Sunday.
