Bengaluru, May 31: Four accused who were arrested on charges of hatching a plot to kill critic, writer and rationalist SK Bhagawan were handed over to the SIT which has been investigating the journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case, for ten days.

Sujith Kumar alias Praveen (37) of Kappanahalli in Shikaripur taluk, Amol Kale and Amith alias Pradeep (38) of Maharashtra, and Manohar Dundappa Yadave alias Manoj (29) of Rathnapur village in Vijayapura were taken into the custody and interrogating.

Upparpet police who produced the accused before the First ACMM Court in the city on Wednesday requested the court to handover them to the police custody for 13 more days to interrogate them in Gauri Lankesh murder case. Later, the judge handed them over to the SIT for ten days.

About the case

In the beginning of the investigation of Gauri murder case, the police have listened to the mobile call records of some organisations’ leaders on suspicion. In that, Naveen and Sujith have conversed about killing SK Bhagavan. Suddenly, the police have taken Naveen into custody in Birur in Chikmagalur district. Later, Sujith who was absconding was arrested in Mangaluru recently. The police have recovered two black colour bags, four mobile batteries, Bengaluru map, four mobile phones, mobile number diary, photos of Shiva-Parvati and Krishna-Rukmini and Rs 22,931 cash from the accused.

Naveen Kumar has formed an organization in the name of Hindu Yuva Sene and participated in a meeting in Goa in June 2017. He made a provocative speech on that day that those who are against the religion should be shot. Sujith who was present at the meeting has introduced himself to Naveen.  

Sujith who has studied up to SSLC, is a son of farmer couple. But has more attachment towards Hindutva. He left his home in 2001 and developed friendship with other accused. It is said that Naveen, Sujith, Amith, Amol, Manohar Dundappa Yadave and Nihal have met at a forest near Gundal reservoir in Chamarajanagar district in November 2017.

A SIT officer said that four accused were taken into custody with a hope of getting some information on Gauri Lankesh murder. Investigation would be intensified, he added.



Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad was on Sunday elected as the new president of the troubled Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

In the polls, Prasad, a former vice-president of the association, went ahead of veteran sports administrator KN Shanth Kumar 749-558 as a total of 1307 members voted.

Prasad now will have the onerous task of bringing top-flight cricket back to the state, which got sidelined after the stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 in which 11 Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans were killed.

Both Prasad and Shanth Kumar, Director of The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd and one of the Directors on the PTI Board, had vowed to take necessary steps to revive cricket in the state, and it was their respective panel's major poll pitch.

Former India batter Sujith Somasundar won the election to the post of vice-president ahead of D. Vinod Shivappa 719-588.

Somasundar had stepped down from the post of Education Head at the BCCI Centre of Excellence recently to contest in the KSCA polls.

BN Madhukar is the new KSCA treasurer after winning the election 736-571 ahead of MS Vinay. Experienced administrator Santosh Menon returned to the association fold as its new secretary after getting the better of ES Jairam 675-632.

Jairam had resigned from the post of KSCA secretary after 11 fans were killed and several injured in the stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, taking the moral responsibility for the tragic turn of events.

The Prasad-led panel, which had the open backing of former India players Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, hence grabbed four key posts in the polls which were held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium between 10am and 5 pm.

“First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket. Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is a victory for all stakeholders — the cricket fans,” Prasad told reporters after becoming president.

The Brijesh Patel-backed camp saw BK Ravi from its list winning the race to the post of joint secretary 669-638 ahead of AV Shashidhara.

Former women’s cricketer Kalpana Venkatachar (764) and former Karnataka wicketkeeper batter Avinash Vaidya (691), who contested from Prasad's panel, were elected as members from the Bangalore Zone along with Aashish Amarlall (703).