Gauri Lankesh Murder Case: Karnataka HC Grants Bail To Accused

Mohan Nayak N, 11th accused in the case, is also the first person to get bail in the case.

Nayak was released on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties for similar amounts.

Source : https://karnatakajudiciary.kar.nic.in/

One of the accused in the case involving the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh has been granted bail by Karnataka High Court. Mohan Nayak N who was granted bail was the 11th accused in the case. He is also the first person to get bail in the case. A single judge bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty granted bail to Nayak on one of the grounds that there was a delay in the trial. 

"In the present case, out of 527 charge sheet witnesses, only 90 witnesses have been examined. This Court on 11.02.2019 directed the Trial Court to expedite the trial. Though charges were framed in the present case on 30.10.2021, for the last more than two years, only 90 witnesses have been examined. There are more than 400 charge sheet witnesses who are yet to be examined in the case," the court said, as per a report on PTI. 

In the judgment, the HC said, "Even if it is assumed that all the witnesses mentioned in the charge sheet may not be examined in the case, considering the fact that only 90 witnesses have been examined for the last more than two years, it can be safely presumed that any time soon, the trial of the case may not be completed."

Nayak was released on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties for similar amounts.

Nayak has been in custody since July 18, 2018. The accusation against Nayak involves allegations of conspiring with other accused individuals to carry out the murder of Gauri Lankesh. It is asserted that, as part of this conspiracy, Nayak rented a house in an isolated location in Ramanagara. In that rented house, he allegedly provided shelter to accused number 2 and 3, who are identified as the actual assailants in the present case. Earlier, his bail petition was rejected by HC.