The High Court of Karnataka on Monday refused to grant bail to Mohan Nayak M., accused number 11 in journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder case, while observing that prima facie there was sufficient material against him to decline his plea.
Nayak, a resident of Mundadka in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, is currently lodged at Bengaluru Central Prison.
While it was contended on behalf of the petitioner that there was no concrete material against the petitioner as the claim of the police was only suspicion, the prosecution said he had taken a premises on rent in his name and allowed it to be used for criminal activities by the other accused. After the murder, he gave up the premises.
Justice B.A. Patil observed that the allegation that the petitioner was part of the conspiracy to murder Gauri Lankesh had to be considered and appreciated at the time of trial. The court said the plea for bail could not be considered as the materials against him showed an active participation by him in the commission of the crime, not just peripheral involvement.
