Ms.Gauri Lankesh(55), a senior journalist, activist, and anti-establishment voice, was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore last night at 7:50 PM.She was the daughter of a legendary Kannada journalist, ran her own Kannada weekly ‘Gouri Lankesh Patrike’
Ms.Lankesh was fired 7 times outside her home when she stepped out of her car and opened the gates.Four bullets hit her, one in the forehead. The journalist had been living alone.
The Bangalore police are examining CCTV footage for clues and have found four cartridges.The police suspect that Ms Lankesh was shot by professional killers who had done a recce.No witnesses have emerged so far. Sources say footage extracted from two CCTVs at her home may have captured the attackers.Police suspect one identity in CCTV visuals and the suspect seen wearing helmet and black clothes, two others on bikes who were not captured in camera clearly.
According to a Kannada TV channel, Gauri Lankesh was being followed by her killers a few days before her murder.The first attempt, claimed PublicTV, was made on 2 September, Lankesh – claimed the channel – had been receiving constant blank calls.
The family of Ms.Gauri Lankesh seeks CBI investigation.Three teams of specialized police headed by IG have been formed so far.
Journalists as well as several politicians condemned the killing
Last year in November, she was convicted in two separate cases of defamation for her article in January 2008. The articles criticized leaders from the Bhartiya Janata Party. Gauri was granted bail.
There were two more similar killings in Maharashtra, that of Leftist thinker Govind Pansare in 2015 and rationalist and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar in 2013.
Mr.Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Ms.Gauri said that he has no trust in the investigation, and wanted CBI probe.
The state government says she never shared anything about a threat with her family either.
“Last week she called me, she wanted to meet me, at that time I was not the Home minister. I told her to come the same day but she told me – I will come on Monday. But she did not come,” Home Minister Mr Ramalinga Reddy told reporters.
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