BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court granted bail to four accused, who allegedly conspired to murder journalist and progressive thinker Gauri Lankesh.
Justice S Vishwajith Shetty passed the order recently to release them with conditions. Accused numbers 6, 9, 13 and 16. Bharat Jayawant Kurane of Belagavi district, Srikanth Pangarkar of Maharashtra, Sujith Kumar of Shivamogga district and Sudhanva Gondhalekar of Maharashtra, respectively were granted bail.
The accused had been booked under provisions of the Indian Arms Act, the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act and IPC by the Rajarajeshwari Nagar police in 2017. They were in judicial custody since 2018.
The Supreme Court has stated that when the trial is not proceeding for reasons not attributable to the accused, the court, unless there are good reasons, may well grant bail to the accused. Referring to the apex court order, the high court noted that the state government and the complainant had challenged the bail granted by the high court to Mohan Nayak N, accused No 11, who was part of the conspiracy to eliminate Gauri Lankesh before the Supreme Court.
The apex court, dismissing the special leave petitions filed by them, noted that the prosecution is still required to examine about 100 chargesheet witnesses and refused to interfere with the high court order granting bail. The petitioners also stand almost on the same footing, the high court said.