2017 Gauri Lankesh murder case: Last accused in custody gets bail

With this ruling, 17 out of the 18 accused in the case are now out on bail, while one individual remains absconding.

A Bengaluru court has granted bail to Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, the final accused still in custody in the Gauri Lankesh murder case.

This decision, made by Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge B Muralidhara Pai on January 8, allows Kalaskar’s release on a personal bond under strict conditions.

With this ruling, 17 out of the 18 accused in the case are now out on bail, while one individual remains absconding.

Gauri Lankesh murdered in 2017

Gauri Lankesh, a well-known journalist and vocal critic of right-wing ideologies, was murdered outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.

The case has attracted significant national attention due to allegations that the accused were linked to a secretive organization aiming to establish a “Hindu Rashtra.”

The prosecution claims that Kalaskar played a role in training other defendants in weapon handling and bomb-making.

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Kalaskar in custody since 2018

Kalaskar had been in custody since September 4, 2018, and sought bail under Section 439 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

His defence argued that his extended detention was unwarranted, especially since 16 co-accused had already been released on bail.

The court acknowledged that prolonged detention could violate his constitutional right to a speedy trial as outlined in Article 21 of the Constitution.

In its ruling, the court noted that all other accused individuals were already out on bail and emphasized that Kalaskar’s continued detention was unjustified, Bar and Bench reported.

The prosecution had opposed the bail plea, citing Kalaskar’s previous conviction for the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar as a potential risk for reoffending; however, this argument was dismissed by the court.

It highlighted that most remaining witnesses are law enforcement personnel involved in the investigation, thus minimizing any risk of interference.