The main accused in the RTI activist Vinayak Baliga murder case was granted a conditional bail by the Karnataka high court on Thursday.
According to the bail’s conditions, Naresh has to provide a bond of Rs 2 lakh and sureties by two persons. He also cannot destroy any evidence connected to the case.
Shenoy is the founder of the Mangaluru unit of the Yuva Brigade, which was originally started as the NaMo Brigade ahead of the 2014 general elections.
In April, the Second Additional District and Sessions court rejected Shenoy’s plea for anticipatory bail.
Naresh Shenoy (39), who was on the run since Baliga’s murder in March, was arrested in Hejamady in Udupi district in August. He was reportedly hiding in Jammu Kashmir, Gorakhpur and Lucknow and areas bordering Nepal.
Police obtained clues to Shenoy’s whereabouts close to two months after the murder, when they arrested Manju Neereshwallya, an associate of Shenoy, who was reportedly protecting him.
Assailants attacked Vinayak (51) with lethal weapons in Mangaluru on March 21 when he was on his way to the temple. Vinayak’s family and friends allege that he had made powerful enemies because he had unearthed alleged financial irregularities in the management of a temple, and also alleged violations by prominent builders. Police had found a large number of documents in Vinayak’s house.
The police had earlier arrested four accused Vineet Poojary, Nishit Devadiga, Shivaprasad, and Shailesh in connection with the murder.