In what could prove to be a major setback in the investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case, the sole accused KT Naveen Kumar has reportedly refused to undergo a narco-analysis test.
This, after he had earlier agreed to undergo the test and had been taken by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Ahmedabad on April 16 for it.
The third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court had given the go-ahead for the test after the written consent of Naveen on March 12.
However, on reaching Gujarat, he reportedly alleged that he had been forced by the SIT to agree for the narco test.
An SIT official told The New Indian Express that on reaching FSL, Naveen told the staff that he was worried about the impact of the test on his health and even threatened suicide.
"On Friday, Kumar was supposed to undergo the test. But when the FSL staff asked him to sign the documents giving his consent to undergo the test, he created high drama and started shouting that he had been forced to give his consent earlier by the SIT. He even threatened to commit suicide. Efforts by the SIT to show the court order to convince the FSL staff did not work as he told them he was worried about the effects of the test on his health. With no other go, the SIT team is bringing him back to the city,” the official told the publication.
Sources told Ahmedabad Mirror that the investigation team had prepared over 500 questions for the accused.
The 37-year-old Naveen had been arrested on February 18 for being an alleged gun-runner in the murder case of journalist Gauri Lankesh last year.
Naveen, who is also the founder of the Hindu Yuva Sene, is said to have close links with Sanatan Sanstha - a right wing group which was under police scrutiny after Gauri's murder.