Bengaluru: A day after KT Naveen Kumar’s confession statement in the Gauri Lankesh murder case revealed Hindutva outfits’ alleged connection to the journalist’s killing, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti on Tuesday dismissed all allegations levelled against it.
Calling the revelation a targeted attack on Hindu outfits, the organisation also questioned the veracity of Naveen Kumar’s statement. “It is a deliberate attempt to destroy Hindu organisations. It is a conspiracy,” alleged Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik.
Kumar in his statement said that he had been invited to a workshop of Hindu organisations in Goa in 2017. That is where he met Mohan Gowda, the state spokesperson for Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Gowda then told Kumar that he would put him in touch with like-minded people.
Subsequently, Kumar received a call from Praveen, who is also under arrest and has been accused of being directly involved in Gauri Lankesh’s murder.
Speaking to the media, Mohan Gowda admitted that he had known Naveen but claimed he never made the alleged statement.
“Naveen is a Hindu Yuva Sena leader from Maddur. I have known him for the last two years. During the workshop in Goa, there were about 250 such workers. It was an interactive session. Naveen’s claims that I introduced him to Praveen or called him etc. is false. You can check my phone records,” said Mohan Gowda.
Gowda, while stating that he had not been questioned so far, also alleged that three others — Suresh, Arun and Deepak — had been illegally detained by the investigating agency.
“We don’t know if they have been kidnapped. Their families have not been informed about their whereabouts, lawyers are also not allowed to meet them,” alleged Gowda.
The organisation also alleged that the statement was not the voluntary confession of the accused.
“The statement is not his confession. It is forced. This will not stand in the court of law,” said NP Amruthesh, who is representing the accused.
Kumar was arrested in February this year, six months after journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh was shot outside her home in Bengaluru. Based on Kumar’s leads, the SIT had arrested four others in connection with the case. On Monday, the third additional chief metropolitan magistrate extended his judicial custody until June 25.
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