Four years on, charges yet to be framed in Gauri Lankesh case
The Hindu
Progress in M.M. Kalburgi murder case has also been tardy
Four years have passed since the assassination of activist-editor Gauri Lankesh on September 5, 2017, and nearly three years since the chargesheet was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). However, the courts are yet to frame charges against the accused, not just in this case but also in the M.M. Kalburgi murder case where the chargesheet was filed two years ago. The prosecution blames the COVID-19 pandemic and “delay tactics” deployed by the defence to prolong trial, an allegation the defence counsel has denied. “In both cases, Hearing Before Charges (HBC) is ongoing in the respective courts and we are confident charges will be framed and trial will begin very soon,” said M.N. Anucheth, Chief Investigation Officer, SIT. Meanwhile, application of the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), 2000, to all the accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case hinges on the Supreme Court order, expected on September 8.More Related News