SC issues notice over plea to cancel bail of accused in Gauri Lankesh murder case

Lankesh, a leading journalist, and activist was killed on September 05, 2017 outside her house at Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. The SC bench decided to examine an appeal filed by the younger sister of the slaim journalist, Kavita Lankesh.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to an accused on a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court's order granting bail to him.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma decided to examine an appeal filed by the younger sister of the slaim journalist, Kavita Lankesh.

She sought cancellation of bail to accused Mohan Nayak.

The Karnataka HC had on December 7, 2023 granted bail to him.

Lankesh, a leading journalist, and activist was killed on September 05, 2017 outside her house at Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru.

The HC had said the accused has been in jail for more than five years and there can't be fetters of the power to enlarge the petitioner on bail when there is undue delay in trial, which may not be completed anytime soon.

Notably, the Supreme Court has on October 21, 2021 set aside High Court's decision of April 22, 2021 to quash the charges under the stringent the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against the accused Mohan Nayak N.

It has then held that the stringent provisions can be invoked against a member of the crime syndicate involved in organised crimes without two previous charge sheets against him.

It was alleged that Nayak was part of the syndicate led by Amol Kale which has committed multiple organised crimes apart from the murder of Gauri.