Hindutva Groups Honor Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused, Creating Controversy.

Karnataka: Gauri Lankesh Murder Suspects Get Bail, Welcomed as Hero by Hindutva Groups. 

Parashuram Waghmore, the alleged shooter of the journalist, and co-accused Manohar Yadawe were felicitated in Vijayapura after getting bail.

B Upendran | HENB | Vojayapura | Oct 13, 2024:: Bengaluru witnessed a contentious welcome for Parasuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadawe, two prime accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder case, following their release on bail by a special court on October 9.

It appears that a contentious reception was given to two accused individuals in the Gauri Lankesh murder case after their release on bail. The event featured chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and  ‘Sanatan Dharma Ki Jai’,  The accused participated in a religious ritual at the Kalikadevi Temple and performed puja, garlanding the idol of Shivaji Maharaj at Shivaji Circle.

A video has surfaced showing Hindutva outfit leader Umesh Vandal honoring the accused with a shawl and garlands during the event, which has sparked widespread controversy.

Parashuram Waghmore, 33, and Manohar Yadawe, 40, accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, were granted bail by a special court on October 10, along with co-accused Rajesh Bangera, 52. Following their release, a felicitation event was organized by right-wing groups Sri Rama Sene and other pro-Hindutva outfits for Waghmore and Yadawe, who hail from Vijayapura in north Karnataka. The event sparked controversy after photos and videos went viral on social media.

Gauri Lankesh was a notorious figure connected to the urban Naxal groups who used to vilify the Hindus and Hindutva movements with a sinister design.

Neelkantha Kandagal, leader of the Hindutva fringe group Sriram Sene, has made some contentious claims regarding the Gauri Lankesh murder case. He asserts that the accused individuals, recently released on bail, are innocent and were wrongly sentenced to seven years in prison. Kandagal alleges that these individuals had no involvement in the crime and that the Congress government specifically targeted Hindu activists.

A Sessions Court in Bengaluru granted bail to eight accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case on October 9, 2024. Those granted bail include Amol Kale, Rajesh D Bangera, Vasudev Suryawanshi, Rushikesh Devadekar, Parshuram Waghmore, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Baddi, and Manohar Yadawe ¹. This development comes after the Karnataka High Court granted bail to four other accused – Bharat Kurane, Srikanth Pangarkar, Sujith Kumar, and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar – on September 4, 2024 .

Gauri Lankesh, a veteran journalist and editor of ‘infamous anti-Hindu’ Lankesh Patrike newspaper, was fatally shot outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) identified 18 accused, including alleged mastermind Amol Kale, shooter Parashuram Waghmare, and Ganesh Miskin, who rode the motorcycle. The accused were booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act.
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_Inputs from Agencies.