Mysuru:  Even as the SIT, which is probing the murder of senior journalist Gowri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her residence in Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bengaluru, on the night of Sept. 5, 2017, has succeeded in cracking the case, with the arrest of over four key suspects, Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja of Maddur, who was the first suspect to be arrested in the case, has reportedly spilled the beans on the plot to kill city-based writer Prof. K.S. Bhagawan.

During interrogation, Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja is said to have told the SIT Police that he had given ‘supari’ to one Anil of Srirangapatna to kill Prof. Bhagavan. After accepting ‘supari,’ Anil is said to have got trained in gun firing at a Kollegal Forest Area for a month. Also, Anil had purchased a gun at Mysuru for executing the killing, it is learnt.

Speaking to SOM on reports of a plot to kill him, Prof. Bhagavan said that he learnt of the said plot only from the media.

Stating that the security provided to him by the previous Siddharamaiah Government following death threats is still in place, he said that he was not involved in any illegal activities.

Maintaining that espousing the cause of social justice and speaking against superstitions and other such social evils had become difficult these days, Prof. Bhagawan said that he would not be cowed down by such threats.