A special court in Bengaluru on Saturday framed charges against 18 accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder case. The charges were framed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA).
The session was held through video conferencing and the charges were read to the accused in Kannada and Marathi languages. The next hearing is scheduled for December 8, when the court will specify dates for beginning the trial proceedings.
Charges have been framed against Amol Kale, Parashuram Ashok Wagmore, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Ramachandra Baddi, Amit Digvekar, Bharath Kurane, Suresha H L alias Teacher, Rajesh D Bangera alias Sir, Sudhanwa Gondalekar alias Pandji alias Gujjar alias Mahesh Patil, Sharad alias Sharad Kalaskar, N Mohan Nayak alias Sampanje, Vasudeva Bhagawan Suryavamshi alias Vasu alias Mechanic, Sujit Kumar alias Sujit S R alias Sajaya alias Manjunatha, Manohara Dundeppa Edave alias Manoja, Vikas Patil alias Dada alias Nihal, Srikanth Jagannath Pangarkar alias Praji, K T Naveen Kumar and Hrishikesh Devadakar alias Murali alias Shiva.
The accused have been charged under section 302, 120B, 114, 118, 109, 201, 203, 204, 35 of the Indian Penal code; Section 25 (1), 25 (1B), 27 (1) of the the Arms Act and Sections 3(1) (i), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4) of the Karnataka Organised Crime Act.
Since all the accused were lodged in different prisons, Judge AB Katti of the Chief Metropolitan Civil and Sessions Court had ordered the concerned authorities on September 22 to bring all the accused to Parappana Agrahara prison in the city. The accused lodged in the Arthur Road prison in Mumbai were presented before the judge through video conferencing.
Gauri Lankesh was shot dead on the night of September 5, 2017 near her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru.
