Gauri Lankesh murder: SIT to probe Naveen’s ‘links’ with ultra-right

BENGALURU: The special investigation team (SIT) interrogating Naveen Kumar, the first to be arrested in the journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh murder case, is likely to take him to Goa and Belagavi to see whether he had links with right-wing organisations and their role in the killing.Naveen is believed to have played “an important role” in the killing, though he is now said to have been absent from the crime scene on the day of the killing, Sept 5, 2017.

On Saturday, the SIT officials met in Criminal Investigations Department (CID) office to discuss the future course of the probe. They said Naveen had been to Goa to attend a conference organised by Sanatan Sanstha. “In the court, the assistant public prosecutor Nirmala Rani had argued the same to take Naveen into additional custody. Naveen also had a few links with people in Belagavi who are alleged to be arms dealers and it has led us to bring him there,” a police source said.

A Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson confirmed to The New Indian Express that Naveen had in the past participated in the Dharma sabhas (religious meetings), both indoor and outdoor. “But he did not have any direct links with the organisation,” the spokesperson said.

THE special investigation team (SIT) probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case, feels there are many questions that need answers — including from where the live bullets and revolver were obtained. “As this case seems to have political or ideological connections, we want to record the statements of Naveen Kumar, who has been arrested in the case, through narco analysis and brain mapping. We are recording each and every statement of his,” said a police source.

After going through the murder cases of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi, the bullets used to kill Gauri match only with the one used in the killing of Kalburgi. The bullet that killed Gauri was manufactured in 2009, said police without divulging further information.“At this moment, all we can say is Naveen knew about Gauri’s killing before September 5, 2017. He also assisted the killers with logistics before the killing. But as per the information we have, he has come nowhere near the crime scene on the day of the incident.” But they refused to divulge how he had assisted the killers.    

  In a meeting on Saturday, senior SIT officials reportedly pulled up team members for leaking operational information. A police officer who attended the meeting said they had missed the accused thrice due to leak of operational information.On behalf of Naveen, advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar assisted advocate Vedamurthy, who had earlier appeared for the accused. Virendre Ichalkaranjikar is also national president of Hindu Vidhinya Parishad.In October 2017, when Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti held a press conference in the city, Virendra also spoke and demanded an unbiased probe.