Eight years after chargesheets filed, trials in Gauri Lankesh and Kalburgi cases drag on
This week marked the death anniversaries of both Gauri Lankesh and M.M. Kalburgi
Eight years have passed since journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and scholar M.M. Kalburgi were killed, with their trials in India still ongoing. The families and associates of the two victims have been demanding expedited trials for years. Kavita Lankesh, who commemorated her sister at her tomb in Chamarajpet on Saturday, expressed frustration that nine years have elapsed since Gauri's death on September 5, 2017, and her mother's passing before justice was served.
She lamented that seven judges have since changed and that all accused are currently on bail. A proposal for a special court for speedy trials was not successful. Most accused in similar cases, such as Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, are also on bail. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the cases reports that all accused attend court regularly, despite being on bail, and that trials are held four days a month.
Of the 532 prosecution witnesses, 130 have been dropped and 220 examined, leaving 180 more to be called. Shashidhar Todkar, a Kalburgi associate, believes the trial could drag on indefinitely at the current pace. The Kalburgi trial concluded in April 2026, and the next hearing is scheduled for September 23.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
