Bengaluru: Members of the Hindu Vidhidyna Parishad (HVP) — a group of lawyers formed to fight on behalf of “Hindus who are framed in false cases” — were present in the court here when K.T. Naveen Kumar was produced on Friday.

The parishad has in the past repeatedly defended Goa-based organisation Sanatan Sanstha. Virendra S. Ichalkaranjikar, national president of the parishad and a defence lawyer of the accused in the murder of Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, was found assisting Naveen’s counsel Vedamurthy. N.P. Amrutesh, an advocate of the High Court of Karnataka and a founding member of the parishad, was also present in the court.

Ichalkaranjikar said the case against Naveen was very weak. “The prosecution case seems to be very similar to those of Dabholkar and Pansare. Naveen has been framed. We have been fighting for all Hindus who have been framed falsely, so we have come here to help the legal team defending Naveen,” he said.