Additional charge sheet filed against the 18 accused in Gauri Lankesh murder case

BENGALURU: On Friday the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the murder of the journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh has submitted an additional charge sheet against the 18 accused in a special court.

Chief investigating officer of the SIT, MN Anucheth said that, “The SIT submitted an additional 9,235-page chargesheet against 18 accused persons in the special court for Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA). We have also sought permission for further investigation.”

The first chargesheet of the case which was registered in May this year. Maddur-based gun-runner KT Naveen Kumar was the only accused named in it.

The second charge sheet comprises of the details of 18 other accused, including those who have been arrested from Maharashtra. It explains how all the 18 accused came together with the intention to murdering Gauri Lankesh, had hatched the plot and finally executed it.

Sources had said that, "Confessions of alleged shooter Parashuram Waghmore, alleged trainer Rajesh D Bangera and Belagavi businessman Bharat Kurne, who sheltered the accused, are comparatively large and run into over 30 pages each. The confessions of the accused run into more than 500 pages."

The SIT observed that the accused allegedly had links with a Goa-based right-wing organisation. “Maharashtra Based men like Amol Kale and Amit Degwekar had a strong relationship with the organisation,” the chargesheet said.