Actor Chetan Ahimsa seeks restoration of security, amid threats

Praveen Kumar | NT

Actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa has appealed to the state home minister to provide him with a gunman as there is a serious threat to his life from different groups. The police department which had earlier provided a gunman for his security had withdrawn after his recent arrest.

The actor was arrested on February 22 by the Seshadripuram police over a tweet against one of the sitting Karnataka High Court judges. Ahimsa, has also approached the city police commissioner and three other IPS officers, and submitted a requisition.

“A detailed requisition with proof of the security threat has been submitted to the home minister, city police commissioner Kamal Pant, state intelligence chief B Dayananda and other IPS officers. The gunman facility which was provided to me for over four years has been withdrawn without any prior intimation or without any reason. My life is under severe threat and the gunman’s presence was acting as a deterrent,” Chetan Ahimsa told NT.

The actor was allotted a gunman after the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017. The gunman facility was there from November 2017 till February 2022. In between this period, there was also a query whether he needed two gunmen. The government had even expressed the possibility of allotting two gun men. All these discussions happened just a few months back.

“After my recent arrest, the facility of gunman has been withdrawn. Actually I am in need of two gunmen. At least one gunman should be allotted immediately. Due to my protests, threats keep consistently coming. I do not know the reason for withdrawing the gunman. It appears the facility has been withdrawn only to harass me,” he said.

The threats are mostly on social media which has been really serious for the past one year. He is said to have submitted the proof showing why he is in need of a gunman. Luckily there is no physical attack on him. The presence of a gunman for the last fourand-a-half-years has acted as a deterrent for him from any such physical attack. The gunman would always accompany him, even if it was a film shoot or during protests. The gunman was allotted without any charges. “I have met home minister Araga Jnanendra. On Tuesday, I went to meet the state police chief, Praveen Sood. Since the senior officer was not in office, I spoke to Prathap Reddy, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). Reddy claimed that Bengaluru jurisdiction does not come under him. It appears that they are passing the buck on each other. I am making the request for a gunman in an evidence based or need based situation. I am hopeful and confident that the security agencies will take my requests seriously and allot a gunman. Since I am an activist, our movements are reaching all parts of the state and are becoming stronger day by day. I have lots of powerful enemies”, he added.