India

Supreme Court Upholds Bail For Gauri Lankesh Murder Case Accused

On Thursday, the Supreme Court has upheld the bail granted to Mohan Nayak N, one of the accused in the murder case of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

The decision came after the Court dismissed a special leave petition challenging Nayak’s bail.

Gauri Lankesh’s assassination took place in front of her residence in south Bengaluru on 5 September 2017.

The investigation into her murder resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals, with police taking Nayak into custody on 18 July 2018.

Gauri Lankesh’s sister, Kavitha Lankesh, filed the petition against Nayak’s bail, challenging the Karnataka High Court’s bail order issued on 7 December 2023.

The High Court granted bail, citing Nayak’s five years in jail and the examination of only 90 out of 527 chargesheeted witnesses.

During the Supreme Court hearing, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the State of Karnataka, informed the bench that the prosecution had examined 137 witnesses.

However, the prosecution dropped 137 witnesses and is likely to exclude an additional 150, leaving only 100 witnesses remaining for examination.

Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma noted that Nayak has complied with the trial process and has not requested any adjournments.

As a result, the Supreme Court chose not to overturn the bail decision.

The Court further emphasized that should Nayak fail to cooperate or request undue adjournments, the State or the complainant may apply for the cancellation of his bail, which will be considered on its own merits.

The Court has also directed that the trial court expedite the proceedings and that all parties involved cooperate to ensure a swift conclusion to the trial.

Also Read: CBI Submits Status Report To Supreme Court On Kolkata Doctor’s Rape-Murder Case

Gopal Krishna

Recent Posts

PM Modi Distributes Over 51,000 Appointment Letters In 15th Rozgar Mela

PM Modi distributed 51,236 appointment letters to newly-recruited candidates in central government departments and organisations…

18 mins ago

Indian Embassy In Berlin Holds Memorial For Pahalgam Terror Victims

The Indian Embassy in Berlin organised a solemn memorial service to honour the victims of…

1 hour ago

Joe Jonas Reflects On Disconnecting From Technology And Reliving Childhood

Pop star Joe Jonas recently performed his latest single, Heart by Heart, to a phone-free…

1 hour ago

Chennai Super Kings’ Struggles Continue As Sunrisers Hyderabad Secure Crucial Win

CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has openly acknowledged the team's ongoing struggles in the 2025…

2 hours ago

Supreme Court Confirms Disruption In Digital Services Due To National Government Cloud Outage

The Supreme Court announced on Saturday that a disruption in the National Government Cloud (NGC)…

2 hours ago

India Responds To Ceasefire Violations After Pahalgam Terror Attack

Following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, Pakistan has escalated tensions by…

2 hours ago