Bengaluru court frames charges against 18 in Gauri Lankesh murder case

Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru has framed charges against 18 people accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case.

The charges were read over and explained to the accused persons in Marathi and Kannada, since Marathi is known to the presiding officer, in the presence of their counsel before the court.

Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge Anil Bheemsen Katti in its order said “Charge for the alleged offences framed. The same was read over and explained to the accused persons in the language known to them in Marathi and Kannada, since Marathi language is known to the Presiding Officer in presence of their counsel before the court. The accused persons after having understood the same pleaded not guilty and claim to be tried. The obtaining of the signature of the accused on the certificate of charge is dispensed with since the same is recorded through V.C.”

The accused have been identified as Amol Kale, Amit Baddi, Parashuram Wagmore, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degwekar, Bharat Kurane, Rajesh D Bangera, Sudhanva Gondalekar, Mohan Nayak N, Suresh H L, Sharad B Kalaskar, Vasudev B Suryavanshi, Sujith Kumar, Manohar Yedave, Srikanth J Pangarkar, K T Naveen Kumar and Rushikesh Devadekar.

The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act.

On September 22, 2021, the special court had directed shifting of those accused housed in prisons at Tumakuru, Ballari, Mysuru and Shivamogga to the Central Prison, Bengaluru for the purpose of framing charges.

Journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in front of her house in the city’s Rajarajeshwari on September 5, 2017.

(With inputs from Live Law)