In a significant development, the Supreme Court has issued notice to an accused, Mohan Nayak, challenging the Karnataka High Court's order granting him bail in connection with the murder of renowned journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. The decision to examine the appeal was made by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma, responding to a plea filed by the younger sister of the slain journalist, Kavita Lankesh.

Gauri Lankesh, a leading journalist and activist, was brutally murdered on September 5, 2017, outside her residence in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru. The accused, Mohan Nayak, had been in custody for over five years when the Karnataka High Court granted him bail on December 7, 2023.

The High Court, in its order, emphasized that Nayak had already spent a considerable time in jail, and the undue delay in the trial process made it inappropriate to further restrain his liberty. The court contended that the power to grant bail should not be curtailed when there is a prolonged delay in completing the trial, which showed no signs of conclusion in the near future.

It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court had previously intervened in the case on October 21, 2021. The apex court set aside the High Court's decision of April 22, 2021, which had quashed charges under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against Mohan Nayak. The Supreme Court ruling clarified that such stringent provisions could be invoked against a member of a crime syndicate involved in organized crimes, even without two previous charge sheets against the accused.

The allegations against Mohan Nayak include his purported involvement in a crime syndicate led by Amol Kale, which is accused of committing multiple organized crimes, including the murder of Gauri Lankesh. The Supreme Court's decision in 2021 reinforced the applicability of KCOCA to Nayak, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges against him.