By Express News Service
BELAGAVI: It has come to light lately that the criminal network involved in planning the murder of rationalist Gauri Lankesh was spread across the state in which several people from different fields were involved in providing logistics support to the main accused Parashuram Waghmare.
A team of Waghmare’s friends not only helped him train in operating pistols but also got him trained in martial arts and karate in the three-acre resort owned by Bharat Kurne at Jamboti, 20 km from Belagavi city, prior to Lankesh’s assassination. Bharat Kure was arrested by the SIT recently in Belagavi.
According to the sources, training of pistol operation, karate and martial arts were conducted for Waghmare in Kurne’s resort for a long period of time. Waghmare’s friends decided to have him trained in Kurne’s resort as it is nestled deep inside the Western Ghats in Jamboti and virtually inaccessible.
“The place is a dense forest. The resort has a hotel, swimming pool and an artificial canal where a select group of people and youth often visit to enjoy private parties,’’ source said, adding that the loud music was played at the resort whenever Waghmore was trained in firing pistols.
According to highly placed sources, his friends who provided logistic support to him insisted he trains in karate and martial arts so that he can defend himself if he was attacked or caught by some people at the time of Gauri’s murder. It is yet to be ascertained who trained him in karate and martial arts.
