Massive protest in Mandya after cow vigilantes kill cattle trader

Massive protest erupted in Karnataka’s Mandya after the body of a 38-year-old cattle trader, Idrees Pasha, was found in suspicious condition in Sathanur yesterday.

This comes after a Muslim man, cattle trader by profession, was beaten to death by self-styled cow protectors in Karnataka on Saturday.

People from the Muslim community came out on streets in large numbers on Sunday to protest against the crime. Pictures posted by news agency ANI showed protestors on bikes taking out protest rally while hundreds of others were seen walking on the streets together.

Puneet Kerehalli, the accused, allegedly stopped cattle trader Idris Pasha in the afternoon while he was transporting cattle. Idris reportedly provided cattle market documents, however, Puneet demanded ₹2 lakh and beat him up along with his associates when he refused to pay.

Vehicle carrying cattle intercepted

On Friday night, Kerehalli and his gang intercepted a vehicle carrying cattle. They stopped the vehicle in front of the Sathanur police station, according to a police source, and pursued Pasha and Irfan, the loader. While pursuing Pasha, two of the men assaulted Syed Zaheer, the driver, who was standing near the container. A police constable, however, intervened and took Zaheer and Kerehalli to the police station.

According to the police source, even though Pasha had shown documents proving he purchased the cattle from a local market, Kerehalli and others allegedly assaulted him and asked him to go to Pakistan. Pasha later succumbed to his injuries after being beaten.

Idris Pasha’s corpse was discovered along a road in the Sathnur Village of Karnataka’s Ramanagara district.

Kerehalli, who was unaware of Pasha’s condition, filed a police report against the three. Based on Kerehalli’s complaint, the police arrested the container’s driver, Syed Zaheer, for illegal cow transportation. After the police started their investigation, they came to know that Pasha had died after being allegedly beaten up by Karehalli and others.

Kerehalli on the run

Kerehalli, the leader of a ‘cow protection force,’ is on the run.

Based on Kerehalli’s complaint, the police arrested the driver of the container, Syed Zaheer, for illegal cow transportation.

Zaheer also filed a complaint against Kerehalli and his associates, after which the police registered a case on charges of murder, wrongful restraint, and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.