Vishal Singh Chauhan, a notorious rowdy and habitual offender from Belagavi City, has been arrested and is currently detained in Gulbarga Prison. The Commissioner of Police, Ida Martin, has invoked the Goonda Act against him, a decision that has been upheld by a three-judge bench of the Honorable High Court.
Chauhan faces a litany of charges across three states—Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra—including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom, robbery, contract killing, and violations of the Arms Act. This marks the first time the Goonda Act has been enacted and ratified by the High Court within the Belagavi City police jurisdiction.
At 25 years old, Vishal Singh Chauhan, originally from Chikkanandihalli and residing in Shastri Nagar, Belagavi, had been evading police while engaging in numerous criminal activities. His record includes:
- 1 murder case
- 5 attempted murder cases
- 1 Arms Act violation
- 1 kidnapping for ransom
- 1 extortion case
- 2 violations of deportation orders and precautionary actions
- 2 combined attempted murder and Arms Act cases in Maharashtra
- 1 theft case in Goa
Despite a deportation order, Chauhan re-entered Belagavi City, further intensifying the seriousness of his criminal activities. Three arrest warrants were pending against him from competent courts due to his disruptive behavior.
A special team, under the guidance of DCP (L&O) Rohan Jagadish IPS and led by PSI Kiran Honakatti of the Udyambag branch, successfully tracked and apprehended Chauhan. Following the instructions of the Honorable Commissioner of Police, Belagavi City, PI Khadebazar prepared a proposal for action under the Goonda Act. Consequently, on April 30, 2024, the Commissioner of Police issued an order placing Chauhan in judicial custody under the Goonda Act.