SIT offered Rs 25 lakh to confess to Lankesh killing, says Waghmare

Bengaluru: A video of Parashuram Waghmare, the prime accused in Gauri Lankesh killing claiming that the special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder had offered him Rs 25-30 lakh to confess to the crime went viral on the social media on Saturday.

Apart from Waghmore’s sensational claim, another accused in the case Manohar Edave alleged that the SIT had threatened to implicate his family members if he did not confess to the crime.

Waghmare and Edave gave the shocking statement to the media personnel when they along with 11 others accused in the case were produced before the court. Answering media questions through the police vehicle both Waghmare and Edave claimed innocence and said that they were being falsely implicated by the SIT. 

In the video, Waghmare can be heard saying that he doesn’t even know who Lankesh was and that the SIT was trying to frame him in her murder. “They offered me Rs 30 lakh to accept to the crime. I was forced me to sign blank papers and while video recording my statement, the officials told me exactly what I had to tell. The SIT is responsible for any harm caused to me or my family,” said Waghmore adding that he was seeing all the other accused for the first time only after his arrest.

The other suspect, Edave, alleged that he was tortured by the officials and forced him to confess about targeting rationalist K S Bhagawan. “I was held in May and did not know anything about those arrested by the SIT. I did not intend to kill anyone and I was thrashed by the SIT,” he claimed.

The  sessions court has extended their judicial custody till October 12.

It may be recalled that Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her residence on September 5, 2017.