SC dismisses plea against bail granted to accused in Gauri Lankesh murder

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal seeking cancellation of bail granted to Mohan Nayak N, an accused in the 2017 murder case of journalist turned activist Gauri Lankesh.

A two-judge bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma while declining to cancel the bail granted to Nayak noted that he has cooperated with the trial and has not sought any adjournment so far. Mohan Nayak N was in custody since July 18, 2018.

It, however, said the trial court shall expeditiously conduct the trial and all the parties shall cooperate with the trial court in concluding the trial.

"Under the circumstances, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned orders passed by the High Court. However, it is directed that the trial court shall expeditiously conduct the trial and all the parties shall cooperate with the trial court in concluding the trial," the apex court stated in its August 20 order.

The bench said that if the accused doesn't cooperate or seek unnecessary adjournments in the case, the application can't be filed to cancel his bail.

"It goes without saying that if the respondent--the accused does not cooperate, asks for unnecessary adjournment(s) or commits breach of any condition, the State of Karnataka or the complainant shall be at liberty to apply for cancellation of bail, and if any such application is filed, the same shall be decided on its own merits and in accordance with law. The Special Leave Petitions are dismissed accordingly," the order added.

Karnataka government and Gauri Lankesh's sister Kavitha Lankesh had approached the apex court challenging the Karnataka High Court order dated December 7, 2023, against grant of bail to Nayak, one of the accused in the case.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The police had arrested 18 people in the case.