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Bengaluru Activist Held Over Vigilante 'Citizenship Checks' Released on Bail

A civil-rights complaint prompted a police probe into alleged illegal intimidation through unauthorised 'citizenship checks'.

Overview

  • Bengaluru rural police arrested Puneeth Kerehalli on charges of trespass and threats against migrant workers, and a court granted him bail the next day.
  • Police say he entered workers’ homes without authorisation, questioned their nationality, and uploaded videos claiming to identify alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
  • Following his release, Kerehalli posted another video warning of severe consequences, while several earlier clips had circulated widely on social media.
  • Supporters tried to gather near the Bannerghatta police station, but officers prevented the assembly and deployed additional security as a precaution.
  • Campaign Against Hate Speech sought FIRs, a broader investigation and cancellation of bail, alleging unauthorised document checks, Aadhaar collection, privacy violations and communal framing, as police termed Kerehalli a habitual offender and said an inquiry is underway.