The Karnataka Police has booked several persons in connection with the death of a cattle trader, whose body was found under suspicious circumstances, police said on Sunday.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against one Puneet Kerehalli and others, Ramanagara Police said. Puneet happens to be a right-wing activist. Earlier, the police had said the deceased was identified as Idris Pasha (38).

According to the police, Puneeth and his associates allegedly stopped the vehicle and assaulted the accused, whose body was later found near Santhanur Village in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district.

The incident sparked a massive protest by members of the Muslim community, who demanded the arrest of the accused. The body was taken in a lorry from his house to the Eidgah Maidan.

The funeral of the deceased will be done at the Eidgah Maidan as per Muslim traditions, locals said.

A family friend of the deceased, Syed Malik, told ANI that they will hold a huge protest if the culprits are not brought to book.

“We will hold a huge protest if Punith Kerehalli and the other accused are not arrested. This is an intentional act to stoke communal tensions. We have information that they demanded Rs 2 lakh from Idris and when he refused to pay the amount, they killed him,” he said.

A local leader named Nasir Ali Khan, too, alleged that the accused had demanded money from Idris, and killed him after he refused to pay.

“Who permitted them to be vigilant? Are there no police or law and order? Why were they even allowed to do that? They intentionally did It, they carried daggers, knives and other weapons. They also asked for Rs 2 lakh from Idris. This is not acceptable. The matter should be investigated and these things should be stopped right away,” he said.

Another local Muslim leader, Amjad, alleged that the accused followed Idris from Mandya with the intention of killing him.

“This is completely intentional as Puneet and his gang followed Idris from Mandya even after he was carrying cattle with permission. They were intending to kill him. Before that, they demanded some money from him and when he did not pay, they killed him and dumped his body. We have a lot of hope on the DSP and the police department. They need to investigate and give proper punishment to the accused. We will discuss with our community leaders and then decide what needs to be done later,” he said.
Further investigation is underway in the case.