In a recent development, the Bengaluru High Court has granted bail to four more accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case. Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty approved the bail petitions of Bharat Kurane from Belagavi, Srikanth Pangarkar from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Sujith Kumar from Shikaripur, Shivamogga, and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar from Satara, Maharashtra.
The accused were previously charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indian Arms Act, and the Karnataka Control of Organized Crimes Act. The charges include murder, conspiracy, and illegal possession of arms. Gauri Lankesh, a prominent journalist, was killed on September 5, 2017, by two gunmen outside her home in Bengaluru.
The petitioners’ counsel argued for bail based on parity with other accused who had already been granted bail. The court noted that similar bail was granted to other accused and that the prosecution still needs to examine around 100 witnesses. The Supreme Court had earlier refused to interfere with bail granted to some accused, further supporting the decision.
The four accused must execute a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each, with two sureties of the same amount. They are required to attend the trial regularly and are prohibited from threatening or tampering with prosecution witnesses.
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