The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday arrested Bharat Kurne from Belagavi in connection with the Gauri Lankesh murder case. Kurne, who had been detained on Wednesday, is the 12th person to be arrested in the case. The police suspect that ParushuramWaghmore, the alleged gunman, was given arms training at Kurne’s farm.
He was produced before a jurisdictional court and was remanded in judicial custody for a day. The SIT application seeking his custody will be heard on Friday. Sources said Kurne, 37, ran a mobile canteen in Belagavi and had a three-acre farm in Khanapur, where he allegedly sheltered the prime accused in the Gauri murder conspiracy. “Amol Kale (the alleged handler) and Waghmore had stayed in Kurne’s farm,” said a police officer.
The SIT has information that another person, wanted by the NIA in a different case, had also visited the farm.
Sources in Belagavi said Kurne was an active member of the Shiv Pratishtan Hindustan, a Hindutva organisation led by Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhidhe of Maharashtra.
Two detained
The SIT picked up two more persons from Udupi district on Thursday. They have been identified as Sandesh Shetty, 32, from Padebettu, near Padubidri village, and Yuvaraj Kulal, 31, from Kanchinadka. A senior SIT official said they would be arrested or let off based on the outcome of the questioning.
