Gauri murder: Court permits narco tests on accused Kumar

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Mar 13, 2018 : The 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court, on Monday, allowed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing senior journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder to conduct narco-analysis tests on K T Naveen Kumar, one of the accused in the case.

 

 

The court also remanded Kumar in police custody until March 26.

The SIT had made Kumar an accused in Gauri murder case after they discovered with evidence that he had conspired to murder writer K S Bhagawan. He also had information about Gauri’s killers and SIT strongly suspected that he is trying to ’protect’ them, said SIT sources. Hence he will be an accused in Gauri’s case for harbouring them, they added.

Earlier, the SIT, while producing Kumar before the court, had submitted an audio and video footage where Kumar is seen consenting for the tests, but when he was brought before the magistrate, he refused. The court then reserved its order for allowing the police to carry out the tests for Monday.

On Monday, when Kumar was produced, he told the magistrate that he is ready to undergo the tests and let the truth come out.

The court then permitted the police to carry out the scientific tests. Kumar, who will be in police custody until March 26, will be taken to the Ahmedabad Forensic Science Laboratory on an available date.

Kumar met his advocate on Sunday while in custody and asked him about the scientific tests. After the advocate briefed him about the tests, Kumar agreed to undergo the tests seeing it as a chance to prove his innocence, SIT sources said.



courtesy:DHNS