The Supreme Court on Monday scheduled the final disposal of a petition filed by the sister of murdered activist Gauri Lankesh against the dropping of organised crime charges against an accused in the case for September 8.
A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar had issued notice to Karnataka on the petition filed by Kavitha Lankesh in June.
Ms. Lankesh, a filmmaker, has appealed to the top court against the State High Court’s decision in April to quash charges under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against Mohan Nayak.
Senior advocate Basava Prabhu S. Patil, for Nayak, urged the court for an early date, saying his client has been in custody for three years now.
The apex court had in June said the accused should not be granted bail until Ms. Lankesh’s plea was decided.
Ms. Lankesh, represented by advocate Aparna Bhat, said SIT investigation had revealed that the accused was part of a syndicate which was behind several instances of organised crime. The petition refers to a spate of murders, including that of activists Narendra Dabolkar and Govind Pansare.
Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru in 2017.
