Is the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the murder of activist Gauri Lankesh buying time with the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) against the 12 arrested in the case?
The members of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, a lawyers' collective fighting the case on behalf of the accused, have questioned the SIT decision to invoke KCOCA stating it was totally unwarranted and politically motivated.
"We dare the SIT to file a charge-sheet and let the trial begin instead of resorting to delay tactics. KCOCA was invoked to please the Leftists ahead of Gauri Lankesh's first death anniversary on September 5. In fact, the charge-sheet against the first accused Naveen Kumar was filed in a haste at the time of election. We demand a judicial probe into the police torture of the accused," said advocate N. P. Amrithesh, while addressing a press meet in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, national president of HVP, charged that the "secular" state government had failed to invoke KCOCA in case of Abid Pasha, a PFI member who had confessed (in 2016) to have killed eight RSS activists in Karnataka. "The Congress government and the police went soft on Pasha and his accomplices, and loopholes in investigation ensured the accused go scotfree or get a bail. But the SIT probing Gauri case was quick to invoke KCOCA in case of Hindu activists to get an extended period of 180 days to complete the investigations. The minority appeasement of the Congress party is to be blamed for this. Why did the government not appoint an SIT to probe into the killing of RSS workers?" asked Ichalkaranjikar.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and affiliated Hindu outfits will take out a protest march against attempts to portray the Sanatan Sanstha as a terror outfit. "It is a propaganda against the Sanstha to get it banned," said Mohan Gowda, Karnataka spokesperson of HJS.
The Parishad demanded to know why the SIT, which is claiming a major breakthrough in the investigation, was shying away from holding a press meet. "Why is the SIT reluctant to hold a press conference and is instead, selectively leaking content to a section of the media? The so-called confessional statements of the accused recorded by the police under duress have no legal sanctity. It is equal to tissue paper. They have used third degree on the accused and this needs to be probed," demanded Amrithesh.
