Bengaluru, June 8: One of the accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh murder, KT Naveen Kumar of Sangh Parivar, who was arrested in the case, had stayed in a Mangaluru Ashrama along with his wife, on the day Gauri was killed, sources in the SIT said.

On September 5, 2017, Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. On the same day, Naveen Kumar had reached his house at Maddur from Bengaluru in a hurry and took his wife to the Ashrama. With this, he tried to prove that he has no role in the murder case, sources said.

Wife’s version

The statement of his wife CS Roopa has given support to the SIT to prove Naveen’s involvement in the murder. Naveen told his wife that he is going to Hubballi to participate in a religious programme. But he returned home on the next day and said that he lost his bag in the train. He said as he was not feeling well, he asked her to accompany him to go to Mangaluru. They have reached Mangaluru on September 5 night. One car was waiting for them to take them to the Sanatana Ashrama from the bus stand. They have watched the news of Gauri Lankesh in the television on the next day morning, sources said.

SIT officials have mentioned in the charge sheet filed on May 28 that his wife Roopa had disclosed his relationship with Sanathana Samstha and he had taken her to various places like Shivamogga and others for its programmes.

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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disrespecting Mallikarjun Kharge by not replying to the Congress president's letter himself, and said it is unfortunate that leaders in the highest positions have rejected great traditions of democracy.

The Congress general secretary said today's politics is full of poison and the prime minister should have set a different example, keeping the dignity of his post in mind.

On Tuesday, Kharge had written a letter to the prime minister and raised the issue of "extremely objectionable" and violent statements by the ruling alliance members targeting Rahul Gandhi, urging him to discipline his leaders.

In response to Kharge's letter to Modi, BJP chief J P Nadda wrote to the Congress president and cited his party's own litany of complaints against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and other Congress members for their choice of words against the prime minister.

In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said that in view of the unrestrained and violent statements of some BJP leaders and ministers, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Kharge wrote a letter to the PM, concerned about the safety of the life of Rahul Gandhi.

"If the Prime Minister had faith in democratic values, balanced dialogue and respect for elders, he would have himself replied to this letter.

Instead, he got a low-level and aggressive reply written by Nadda ji and sent it," she said.

What was the need to disrespect an 82-year-old senior public leader, Priyanka Gandhi asked.

"The tradition and culture of democracy is to ask questions and have a dialogue. Even in religion, no one is above values such as dignity and etiquette," she said.

"Today's politics is full of poison, the Prime Minister should have set a different example, keeping the dignity of his post in mind," Priyanka Gandhi said.

If the PM had respectfully replied to the letter of a senior politician, his image and dignity would have increased in the eyes of the public, she said.

"It is unfortunate that our leaders in the highest positions in the government have rejected these great traditions," Priyanka Gandhi said.

The Congress on Thursday had said Prime Minister Modi must rise above "petty politics" and condemn the actions of the ruling alliance leaders, who targeted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition party had asserted the whole world is watching how the ruling BJP is "putting the life of the Leader of the Opposition in danger".

The assertion came in a letter by AICC general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh to Nadda in response to the BJP chief's letter to Kharge earlier.

The opposition party has slammed as "intemperate" and "juvenile" Nadda's reply to Kharge on his letter to Prime Minister Modi flagging "threats" aimed at Gandhi.