The first week of the trial in the Gauri Lankesh murder case ended on Friday and the case is posted for continuation of the trial for another week from August 8 to 13.
The first week saw the complainant in the case, Kavita Lankesh, sister of the slain journalist-activist, depose before the court and state that Gauri had told her about unidentified men suspiciously loitering around her house a week before she was killed. Ms. Kavita Lankesh denied any property dispute in the family or threats to Gauri from naxals, answering to specific allegations by the defence counsels.
Two key witnesses
Two other key witnesses deposed before the court this week: a close associate of the accused number 17, K.T. Naveen Kumar, who had asked the witness to practise firing with an air gun for “Hindu struggle” (he identified four key accused he had met — accused no. 1 Amol Kale, accused no. 5 Amit Degvekar, accused no. 13 Sujith Kumar, and Naveen Kumar) and a salesman from a weapons shop from where Naveen Kumar had bought an air gun. He identified Naveen Kumar in the open court hall.
Apart from these two key witnesses, mahazar witnesses of the crime scene of the murder, and the photographer who took photos of the crime scene were also examined.
