Gauri Lankesh murder case: Naveen Kumar gives in, agrees to undergo narco-test
BENGALURU: After refusing to undergo a narco-analysis test despite agreeing to it before a local court, K.T. Naveen Kumar, the first accused arrested in connection with the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, on Wednesday once again agreed to undergo the test.
Naveen (37), the founder of Hindu Yuva Sene, agreed to undergo the test after Sessions Court Judge Ramalinge Gowda on Tuesday questioned the accused’s advocate Veda Murthy on why Naveen had not agreed for the test when he had pleaded innocence.
Mr Murthy told the court on Wednesday that his client is innocent and that he has agreed to undergo the test, provided there is total transparency. He submitted before the court that the SIT had earlier taken Naveen to Gujarat for the narco-test, but it did not inform him, as per court directions. "The advocate representing the client should accompany him. The SIT did not inform me, neither it approached the forensic lab in Gujarat for the test and returned saying Naveen refused to undergo the test,” Mr Murthy said.
He alleged that no documents related to Rs 1.10 lakh payment to the Forensic Science Laboratory for the narco-analysis test was furnished.
Naveen, who is in police custody since February this year, was asked by the SIT to undergo the test in March to which he had agreed. The same third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court had given permission for the test. When Naveen was taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Ahmedabad for the test, he allegedly refused to undergo the test.
Naveen was arrested by the city police after he was found possessing a .32 calibre revolver and 15 live bullets. Later, the SIT took his custody and during the interrogation established his links with the murder of Gauri. Naveen allegedly made accommodation and transportation arrangements for Gauri’s suspect shooter, Parshuram Waghmare. However, Naveen’s advocate maintained that his client is innocent and is not involved in Gauri’s murder.
