In another development in the murder probe of noted journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the first accused to be arrested, KT Naveen Kumar, on Wednesday told the sessions court that he is ready for a narco test.
Naveen Kumar (37), who has been in police custody since February, was asked by the Special Investigation Team probing the case to undergo a narco test in March, to which he had agreed.
Following this, the third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court had given the go-ahead for the test after the written consent of Naveen on March 12.
But on April 16, when he was taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Ahmedabad, he refused to undergo the test.
The Sessions Court Judge Ramalinge Gowda on Tuesday had questioned why Naveen Kumar had not agreed for a narco test when he had pleaded innocence.
Speaking to TNM, Veda Murthy, the counsel representing the accused, said, "He had initially refused the narco test because the police had misguided him on the matter. If he is asked again, he will go ahead with it. There can be no accusation of non-transparency on Naveen's part.”
Maintaining that his client was innocent, he added, “I am very confident of defending Naveen. We will certainly get him acquitted.”
Naveen, who is also the founder of the Hindu Yuva Sene, is said to have close links with Sanatan Sanstha – a right wing group – and was arrested by Bengaluru police in possession of .32 calibre revolver and 15 live bullets. He is allegedly the one who ferried Parashuram Waghmare, the alleged shooter, to Gauri’s residence on the night of the murder.
Gauri (55) the outspoken editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, known for its anti-Hindutva editorial stand, was shot from point blank range outside her residence in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwarinagar on September 5, 2017.