Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused Naveen Kumar Agrees to Narco Test

KT Naveen Kumar allegedly ferried the shooter who killed Gauri Lankesh in September 2017.

KT Naveen Kumar, had previously agreed to the test, only to refuse it at the last moment alleging police misguidance.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

In another development in the murder probe of noted journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the first accused to be arrested, KT Naveen Kumar, on Wednesday, 27 June 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 12 March.

But on 16 April, 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, 26 June, 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.

Veda Murthy, Lawyer

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 5 September, 2017.

The SIT in its first chargesheet filed on 30 May mentioned the role played by KT Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja and Praveen alias Suchit Kumar.

He has been charged with Sections 118 (concealing design to commit offence), 114 (criminal abetment) 120B (criminal conspiracy), 35 (criminal intent) of the Indian Penal Code in the preliminary chargesheet of 650-odd pages.

(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)