A Hindu Yuva Sena activist was named as first accused by Special investigation Team(SIT) in Bengaluru in connection with the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.
K T Naveen Kumar, 37, was arrested on February 18 for illegal possession of bullets by Bengaluru police, has been named as the first accused in the case, reported The Indian Express.
The SIT arrested Kumar, a resident of Maddur in Mandya, after informing a magistrate's court
in Bengaluru that it had found evidence of his involvement in the Gauri Lankesh murder in the course of the investigation into the illegal arms case for which he was arrested on February 18, said the report.
The SIT initially, according to the report had sought a warrant for Kumar's arrest in the Gauri Lankesh case -- shortly after he was remanded in judicial custody in the illegal arms case -- citing voluntary statements given by some of Kumar's friends about his links to the Gauri Lankesh murder.
Investigations have shown that Kumar is linked to a radical Hindutva outfit called the Hindu Yuva Sena and that he is also allegedly linked to members of the Sanatan Sanstha outfit and its affiliate the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, mentioned the report.
He has been found in possession of more than 15 rounds of the cartridges of the .32 calibre, which are the same as the 7.65 mm cartridges, the report said.
Gauri Lankesh was shot with a 7.65 mm country-made pistol in the driveway of her home in west Bengaluru on the evening of September 5, 2017 by an unidentified man wearing a helmet, the report mentioned.
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