Bengaluru: The III Metropolitan Magistrate Court has permitted the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case to subject the only arrested accused in the case, K T Naveen Kumar, to narco-analysis test. Meanwhile, Naveen has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Though still a day was left for Naveen’s police custody to end, the SIT officials produced him before the III Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court on Monday afternoon.
As the police had requested the court to permit them to subject the accused to narco analysis, the magistrate asked the accused whether he was willing to undergo the test. Naveen expressed his fear over the health implications after the test. But the magistrate told him that his advocate will be there during the test and standard procedures will be followed during the test. Then Naveen told that he has no problem undergoing the test, if it does not have any impact on his health.
Then the magistrate directed the police that the test be carried out according to the guidelines set by the Supreme Court and National Human Rights Commission, and granted permission to conduct narco analysis on Naveen Kumar. Meanwhile, the SIT did not seek further extension of Naveen’s police custody. Thus, the magistrate remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days, till March 26.
