Gauri Lankesh murder case: Karnataka HC seeks report on lapses by magistrates

The Karnataka high court on Monday sought a report from two additional chief metropolitan magistrates of Bengaluru cityto ascertain if judicial procedures were followedafter the four accused in the Gauri Lankesh claimed that they had been tortured in police custody.

The court asked the first and third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Courts to submit a report into the allegations that they had not followed procedure as per the law after some of the accused persons.

Advocate NP Amrutesh had filed an affidavit which mentioned that the magistrates did not comply with procedures mandatory by the apex court regarding persons in custody. Amrutesh is representing the four accused — Sujith Kumar, Amol Kale, Amit Ramachandra Degvekar and Manohar Edave — picked by the SIT probing the murder.

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After Justice K N Phaneendra said that the allegations were serious, he asked the magistrates to file a report within 10 days from the date of receiving the order, reports said.

Amrutesh also said that the four men had informed the magistrates that they had gone through third-degree interrogation by the police adding that when Kale had been taken to court he had bruises on his cheek.

In his affidavit, Amrutesh made allegations that the magistrate had not ordered medical examination of the accused when the torture allegedly given to him by police was brought to his notice on June 14, as the Magistrate of 3rd ACMM was not available. The magistrate only recorded the injury marks on Kale’s body, he alleged.