Gauri Lankesh murder accused felicitated by pro-Hindu groups in Karnataka

Pro-Hindu groups in Karnataka felicitated the two men accused of killing activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh following their release from Bengaluru Central Jail after being granted bail.

Parashuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadave—the two accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case—were granted bail by a Bengaluru sessions court on October 9 after spending six years in jail. Both were formally released from Bengaluru Central Jail on Friday, October 11.

India Today reported that both the murder accused were accorded a grand welcome by local pro-Hindu supporters with garlands, orange shawls, and chants of celebration after they returned to their hometown in Vijayapura. The duo visited the Kalika temple to offer prayers after garlanding the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

In a viral video, the two accused can be seen being welcomed with garlands and prayers upon their return to Vijayapura.

According to a LiveLaw report, apart from Waghmore and Yadave, six other persons were granted bail in the case, there persons were Amol Kale, Rajesh D Bangera, Vasudev Suryawanshi, Rushikesh Devadekar, Ganesh Miskin and Amith Ramachandra Baddi.

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea of Kavitha Lankesh against a Karnataka High Court order that granted bail to an accused in the murder case Gauri Lankesh.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and S C Sharma noted that the accused, Mohan Nayak, has cooperated with the trial court in the proceedings and has not sought any adjournment.

"Under the circumstances, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned orders passed by the high court. However, it is directed that the trial court shall expeditiously conduct the trial and all the parties shall cooperate with the trial court in concluding the trial.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead on September 5, 2017, outside her residence in Bengaluru. The police arrested 25 people and filed a chargesheet. A total of 18 people have got bail so far.