BENGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh has named two accused in its the first chargesheet submitted before the 3rd ACMM court on Wednesday.
The chargesheet, running over 650 pages, has named Hindutva leader K.T. Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja and another alleged gun dealer Praveen alias Suchit Kumar, as the accused. The SIT has submitted before the court that it will be soon submitting more documents in connection with the case.
According to a source, the SIT has included the statements of 131 witnesses, including forensic experts and eyewitnesses, and elaborated on Naveen’s involvement in the Lankesh killing. The second accused Praveen was arrested on May 20 and the police have taken his custody for 10 days to extract more information from him. However, the SIT has established his role in the murder.
The chargesheet also includes statements of Lankesh’s family members, doctors who performed the autopsy and the officers who visited the spot after Lankesh was shot dead outside her house.
The SIT has levelled sections 302 (Murder), 114 (Abettor present when offence is committed), 118 (Concealing intent to commit an offense), 120 B (Criminal conspiracy) and 35 (Criminal intention) of IPC on Naveen and Praveen.
According to sources, the chargesheet mentions that Naveen provided logistics to the killers and also hired Praveen to trace the Lankesh’s house and office locations and Naveen has already confessed to it before the SIT.
Naveen Kumar, a native of Mandya, is a founder of Hindu Yuva Sene. He was arrested by the Upparpet police after he was found possessing a .32 calibre weapon and several rounds of bullets, which he was allegedly trying to sell to a client.
Following his arrest, the SIT took his custody to interrogate him on Lankesh murder and eventually established his role in the crime. During investigation, Naveen had revealed that Praveen was hired to conduct a recce in the area surrounding Lankesh’s house..
Praveen, who goes by several aliases, was arrested and during interrogation his link with Lankesh murder was also established. SIT officers were shocked when Praveen revealed about his gang’s plot to kill Mysuru-based rationalist writer Prof K.S. Bhagwan.
Praveen reportedly told SIT that it was his gang that had sent a threatening letter to Prof Bhagwan in 2015 and they had hatched a plan to eliminate him in December, two months after Lankesh murder.
Based on the information provided by Praveen, the SIT took into custody his three gang members Amol Kale alias Baisab from Maharashtra, Amit Devgekar alias Pradeep from Goa and Manohar Edave from Vijayapura, on May 21.
The SIT has taken the custody of all the four accused for 10 days and is interrogating for their involvement in Lankesh murder.
