Four year after crime, trial court frame charges against 18 accused in Gauri Lankesh Murder Case
Bengaluru: In what has come as a major development in the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, a trial court in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 30 framed charges against 18 accused in the case.
11 of the accused lodged in Bengaluru Central Jail and seven other accused lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai and Pune’s Yerwada Jail were produced before the Court through video conferencing as a part of proceedings.
Amol Kale has been named as accused number one. Amit Degwekar and Sujith Kumar have been named as the prime conspirators who planned the murder.
The other accused are Ganesh Miskin, Amith Badd, Bharath Kurane, Suresh HL, Rajesh Bangera, Sudhanva Gondalekar, Sharad Kalaskar, Mohan Nayak, Vasudev Suryavamshi, Manohara Edave, Srikanth Pangarkar, Naveen Kumar, and Rushikesh Deodikar. They have been charged under the following sections: Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 114 (absent abettor when the crime is committed), 118 (concealing design to commit offence), 109 (offence of abetment for the act of committing the murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence of offence), 203 (giving false information with respect ot an offence), 204 (destruction of evidence), 35 (an act done with a criminal knowledge or intention) of the Indian Penal code as well as sections of the Arms Act and Karnataka Organised Crime Act.
The SIT had identified the shooter as Parashuram Waghmare.
The charges were read over and explained to the accused persons in the language known to them in Marathi and Kannada.
“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 video conferencing,” the court noted.
The court further ordered Bengaluru Central jail authority not to transfer any of the accused to any other prison without a specific order from this court in that regard so as to conduct a smooth trial.
Journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in front of her residence in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017, by bike-borne assailants.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
