Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 29: Parashuram Waghmare, whom the special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of veteran journalist, Gauri Lankesh, had projected as the man who fired at and killed Gauri, denied the statements obtained from him by the SIT.  

SIT had claimed that Waghmare had shared information about his participation in the said murder and that he had led the team to the house where he was sheltered. The officials also had said that he had cooperated with the inquest procedure. But, when he was produced in the magistrate's court on Wednesday June 27, Waghmare denied having been involved with the murder.  

Waghmare told the court that he was not involved with this murder and he does not have any connection with this murder.  After he denied allegations, the officials produced him before the third additional chief metropolitan magistrate court which remanded him to judicial custody. Reacting to this development, SIT officials said that it is but normal for the accused to deny allegations as otherwise they easily get sentenced. 

SIT officials submitted to the court, when objecting to the bail application moved in the case by K T Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja that this is a sensitive case and main accused, Dada alias Nihal, is yet to be arrested. As there is pressure on witnesses, granting of bail to them might pose danger to lives of several important personalities, they argued. They said that the accused has been creating bottlenecks for investigation by frequently making confessions and then denying them and therefore if he is granted bail he might create further problems. 

The court, after hearing arguments, adjourned the hearing to June 30.