MAIN SUSPECT IN GAURI LANKESH KILLING ARRESTED IN BENGALURU

BENGALURU: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh on Friday made suspect KT Naveen Kumar an accused in the case.

Submitting a CD in the court of the third additional chief metropolitan magistrate, police said there was additional evidence to prove that Kumar was involved in the conspiracy to kill Lankesh.

The SIT also sought the court’s permission to conduct narcoanalysis and brain mapping on Kumar. However, order on this was reserved till March 12 as Kumar denied having consented to the procedure. Kumar, a resident of Maddur in Mandya district, was taken into the SIT’s custody on March 3 as a suspect.

The action was based on his alleged confession during interrogation in another case, where he was caught for illegal possession of ammunition. Kumar is the first person to be charged for the murder of Lankesh, who was gunned down on September 5.

A senior officer in the SIT said Kumar was likely to have provided logistical support to the main accused. “We feel he was not involved in the shooting but he might have been one of the persons who conducted reconnaissance around her house,” he said.

According to the officer, Kumar was taken in a vehicle and asked to direct the police towards Lankesh’s house, which he did. As a result, they believe he was involved in the conspiracy. Additionally, police have requested that the illegal arms case against Kumar be converted to one of criminal conspiracy to kill Kannada rationalist KS Bhagwan.

The police version, however, was contested by Kumar’s lawyers. Vedamurthy, the accused’s counsel, said: “He was picked up by the police on February 14 in Birur in Chickamagaluru district and not in Bengaluru on February 18 like the SIT said. For four days, he was interrogated by the SIT before he was shown as being arrested in Bengaluru,” he said.

Vedamurthy said the SIT was trying to pin the blame on him in desperation.