VIJAYAPURA: A controversial reception was given to Parasuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadawe, two key accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, in Vijayapura after they were granted bail by a special court on October 9.
Upon their arrival on Saturday evening, they were welcomed and honoured by members of Hindutva fringe organisations.
The fringe group members chanted slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and expressed support for Sanatan Dharma.
The accused participated in a religious ritual at the Kalikadevi Temple and performed puja garlanding the idol of Shivaji Maharaj at Shivaji Circle.
A video showing Hindutva fringe leader Umesh Vandal honouring the accused with a shawl and garlands during the event has gone viral.
Neelkantha Kandagal, the leader of another Hindutva fringe group, Sriram Sene, claimed that innocent individuals had been unjustly sentenced to seven years in prison for the murder of Lankesh.
He claimed that the accused had no involvement in the crime and alleged that the Congress government had targeted only Hindu activists.
Meanwhile, the accused refused to talk to some local media persons who were present at the spot.
Last week, a Sessions Court in Bengaluru granted bail to eight accused involved in the murder of Lankesh. The court had granted bail to accused Amol Kale, Rajesh D Bangera, Vasudev Suryawanshi, Rushikesh Devadekar, Parshuram Waghmore, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Baddi and Manohar Yadawe.
On September 4, the Karnataka High Court had also granted bail to four accused in the case. Those who were granted bail were Bharat Kurane, Srikanth Pangarkar, Sujith Kumar and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar.
Gauri Lankesh, a veteran journalist and the editor of Lankesh Patrike newspaper, was fatally shot by two men on a motorcycle outside her home in Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bengaluru, on the night of September 5, 2017.
The Congress-led state government at the time had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case.
The SIT had identified a total of 18 accused, including the alleged mastermind Amol Kale, the shooter Parashuram Waghmare, and Ganesh Miskin, who rode the motorcycle.
The accused were booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act.