After much delay and legal hurdles, the trial in the Gauri Lankesh murder case finally began on Friday, almost five years after she was killed on September 5, 2017.
Judge C. M. Joshi, presiding over the Special KCOCA Court, set some ground rules for the trial.
“The trial will be held continuously for weeks. For now, the trial will be held every second week of the month for five days,” Mr. Joshi said, adjourning the case till July 4. The trial in the case will be held from July 4 to July 8, he said.
Gauri Lankesh’s sister Kavita Lankesh, the complainant in the murder case, was supposed to depose before the court and record her statement on Friday. However, the counsel of the accused objected to her statement being recorded as all the 17 accused were not present in the court. Six accused presently lodged in Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai, were not present in the court, while the remaining accused lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, Bengaluru, were part of the proceedings through videoconference facility from the prison.
Physical presence sought
Counsel for the accused moved a petition seeking trial be held only in the physical presence of all the accused in the court, as they had to consult with them during trial. However, Mr. Joshi disposed of the petition directing all the accused lodged in Bengaluru and Mumbai to be made part of the trial through videoconference and said the advocates would be allowed to consult their clients over phone or meet them physically. He posted the case to July 4.
Special public prosecutor S. Balan said the court’s decision to hold the trial for one week every month bodes well for the prosecution and hoped there would be a speedy trial.
