In a shocking incident of blind fandom turned brutal, three Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) supporters have been arrested in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district for slaughtering a goat in front of a life-size cutout of cricket star Virat Kohli.
The act was carried out as a raktaabhisheka—a ritualistic blood offering—after RCB’s thrilling victory over Chennai Super Kings at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 3.
The accused, identified as Sanna Palayya (22), Jayanna (23), and Tippe Swamy (28), were captured in a disturbing video initally shared on Instagram under the handle 'call-me-143-kalki.'
In the footage, one man is seen holding the goat while another jubilantly celebrates the win. Moments later, a machete is used to kill the animal, and its blood is smeared onto Kohli’s cutout, with a third individual restraining the goat using a rope.
Police swiftly tracked down and detained the trio after the clip sparked outrage online. The clip was later taken down.
Authorities have booked the individuals under relevant animal cruelty and public order laws.
The incident has also drawn condemnation from animal rights activists, who are calling for stricter penalties against such practices tied to celebrity worship.
As RCB continues its IPL campaign, officials are urging fans to express their support in ways that do not involve violence or harm.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ