Gauri murder case: SIT submits details in sealed cover to court
Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Gauri Lankesh murder claimed knowledge of a “larger conspiracy” behind the murder and submitted related details with names of other suspects to the court in a sealed cover on Friday.
A massive manhunt has been launched to nab these suspects, along with one Praveen, who was named as an accused in the court based on inputs given by K.T. Naveen Kumar who has been arrested in the case.
To a specific question by the judge whether Naveen was the main accused, assistant public prosecutor Nirmal Rani said, “The main accused are yet to be arrested and the details have been submitted in a sealed cover.” A senior SIT official said Naveen was indeed in knowledge of the conspiracy and “aided and assisted its execution”, but in a “peripheral role”.
The SIT has sought permission of the court to conduct of neuro-psychological assessment tests — narco analysis, polygraph (called the lie detector test) and brain electrical oscillation signature profiling (brain mapping) — on Naveen Kumar.
“While the accused has revealed some information, he has also been concealing a lot. So these tests are necessary,” assistant public prosecutor Nirmal Rani told the court.
SIT sources also said TH that they had sent voice samples of Naveen to the FSL, Madiwala, to be matched with some of the audio recordings they had of Naveen during surveillance. They have also sent visuals of the reconstruction of a recce of Gauri’s house to be matched with visual of CCTV camera footage showing a man doing a recce of the house on September 3 and 5, 2017.
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.
Worker’s body reaches Ranchi from Saudi 4 months after death; family rejects over compensation
Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.
Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.
“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.
“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.
Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.
“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.
The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.
Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.
Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.
