New Delhi: Two men who are accused of killing journalist Gauri Lankesh were given a grand welcome by Hindutva groups in Karnataka after they were granted bail by a special court on October 9.
Parashuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadave – in jail for the past six years – were granted bail by a Bengaluru sessions court on October 9 and formally released from jail on October 11, reported India Today.
After being released, the accused offered pooja in the Kalika temple in Vijaypura town and were later garlanded by Sangh parivar and Shri Ram Sene members, reported The News Minute.
“Today is Vijayadasami, a significant day for us. We welcomed Parashuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadve, who have been unfairly jailed for six years on charges related to the murder of Gauri Lankesh. The real culprits have yet to be found, but these men were targeted simply because they are pro-Hindu workers. Their families have suffered, and this injustice needs serious introspection”, said a Hindutva leader, reported India Today.
Well-known journalist and editor Lankesh, a household name for readers in Karnataka because of her sharp writing and bold views, was shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru late on September 5, 2017.
She was editor of the weekly Lankesh Patrike – a magazine that has been described as an “anti-establishment” publication – and had come under attack for her views against the communal politics of the Sangh parivar in Karnataka.
The chargesheet in her murder case had said that the assassination was an “organised crime” carried out by people associated with the Sanatan Sanstha, an extremist right-wing Hindutva organisation.