One of the key witnesses testifying in the trial of Gauri Lankesh’s alleged killers has told the court that he was threatened and warned not to identify the accused. The police have said they are taking “all appropriate measures” to protect all the witnesses in the case. However, an FIR has not yet been filed.
The witness is supposed to testify against three accused persons involved in Lankesh’s killing. A total of 18 people were charged with conspiring and killing activist-journalist Lankesh on September 5, 2017. The witness told the court on Wednesday, May 28, that he was threatened the previous day when he was on his way to Bengaluru to testify.
According to documents reviewed by TNM, the man stated in his complaint that he was travelling towards Bengaluru when he received a call the previous day, warning him against identifying the accused. The witness later gave his testimony in court.
Sources said that the witness was to identify some of the men who had met to hatch the conspiracy to kill Lankesh.
Special Public Prosecutor S Balan filed a memo with the court regarding the witness’ complaint on Wednesday, May 28, and it was taken on record, sources said.
A police officer associated with the case confirmed to TNM that the witness had been threatened. “But he deposed well before the court. We are taking all steps necessary to protect the witnesses,” he said.
Asked if an FIR had been filed, he said, “We have not taken a decision yet on whether to file an FIR.”
If the police file an FIR, the prosecution can file an application to cancel the bail of the accused.
Seventeen accused persons who were arrested in the case, including Amol Kale, the man the police say was the mastermind of the conspiracy, are out on bail. The first to be out on bail was Mohan Nayak, who is accused of arranging accommodation for the killers, who was out in December 2023. Over the next 13 months, the remaining accused also secured bail, with the last one being Sharad Kalaskar in January 2025.
TNM had previously reported in a three-part series how Gauri Lankesh’s alleged killers were indoctrinated by and came together because of the violent literature of the Goa-based extremist Hindutva group Sanatana Sanstha. You can read the first story in the series here.
According to the chargesheet, Amol Kale and others were indoctrinated by Kshaatra Dharma Sadhana, a book which identifies “anti-Hindu” elements of society as “durjan” (evil-doer) and calls for their elimination.
While Amol Kale was the alleged mastermind, Parashuram Waghmore is accused of having pulled the trigger. Ganesh Miskin rode the motorcycle carrying Parashuram Waghmore to Gauri’s house in Bengaluru.
TNM has also reported on the extensive planning that the alleged killers undertook, travelling to different cities spanning the length of Karnataka and even to neighbouring Maharashtra to train the alleged killers in the use of weapons, find a suitable place to practice shooting, secure a motorcycle, arrange accommodation, and other logistics to carry out the murder. You can read read the stories here.
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