Bengaluru Court Grants Bail to Kalaskar; 17 of 18 Accused in Gauri Lankesh Murder Case Out on Bail

A Bengaluru court granted bail to Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, one of the accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. With the court granting bail to Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, all 17 individuals currently facing trial in the case have been released. One accused, Vijay Patel, is still at large. 

Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge Muralidhara Pai B granted bail to Kalaskar, who had been incarcerated since 2018. The court granted Kalaskar bail on the condition that he furnish a personal bond of Rs. 2,00,000, along with two sureties for the same amount, to the satisfaction of the court. The judge pointed out that the trial was unlikely to conclude soon. "As on this day, all the accused facing trial in the case except the petitioner are on bail. As such, the petitioner is entitled to bail even on the ground of parity," the court stated.

The prosecution had argued against Kalaskar's release, citing his history as a repeat offender and the possibility of him committing further crimes. However, the court referred to the Supreme Court’s stance on the fundamental right to a speedy trial, which protects an accused person's liberty. The court stated that "the Supreme Court has repeatedly reiterated an accused’s fundamental right to a speedy trial to protect their personal liberty."

Kalaskar, along with others, is facing charges under Sections 302 (murder), 120B (conspiracy), 118 (concealing design to commit offence), and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code, as well as the Indian Arms Act and the Karnataka Control of Organized Crimes Act. The prosecution claims Kalaskar was involved in training other accused individuals in skills like identifying targets and using firearms.

The judge noted that while Kalaskar's involvement in the murder itself was not direct, his association with an organized crime syndicate was significant. The court mentioned that he had been training other accused in various criminal activities, including bomb-making and martial arts.

The court also addressed concerns raised by the prosecution that Kalaskar might attempt to intimidate witnesses if released on bail. However, the judge found no merit in this argument, stating that most of the remaining witnesses were police officers or officials, and many witnesses had already been examined. Additionally, the court pointed out that the details of the witnesses were protected.

Previously in October 2024, a sessions court had granted bail to eight other accused. The release of some of these individuals, including Parashuram Waghmore and Manohar Yadavem, sparked public controversy when they were welcomed home by some groups in Karnataka.

Gauri Lankesh, the 55-year-old editor of the Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead outside her Bengaluru home in 2017. In the months before her murder, she had spoken out about the threats and "rabid hate" she received.