Bengaluru: Granting interim protection to activist Puneeth Kerehalli in two criminal cases, Karnataka high court has directed the govt to place on record the measures taken to identify and act against illegal immigrants in Bengaluru. Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the directions while hearing petitions filed by Kerehalli challenging the cases booked by Soladevanahalli police in Bengaluru Rural district. The court ordered that no coercive action should be taken against the petitioner until the next date of hearing.The additional special public prosecutor informed the court that the actions of Kerehalli and his associates during the incident in question were recorded on video, and the recordings would be produced before the court. The judge further asked the prosecution to submit a report on the steps initiated by the govt to address the presence of illegal immigrants in the city, which, according to the state’s own estimate, is close to 20 lakh.“The additional special public prosecutor shall also place on record the steps taken towards clearing illegal immigrants in the city,” the order stated, listing the matter for further consideration on Feb 20.The cases relate to an episode in which Kerehalli and a group of supporters allegedly visited a settlement at Kemapapura, near Soladevanahalli. The group claimed that several Bangladeshi nationals were living in the locality without valid documents.As per police, the activist and others later made false statements on social media, including remarks directed at the DG&IGP. The group was accused of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting and spreading misinformation. The authorities invoked multiple provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita against Kerehalli and his associates.
