Country-made pistol used to kill Kalburgi

Bengaluru/Mysuru: Veteran Kannada scholar Dr M.M. Kalburgi was killed by an unlicensed indigenous firearm – a country made 7.65mm calibre/bore improvised pistol. The ballistic report by the Forensic Science Laboratory has reportedly confirmed the firearm, which was used by the assailants of Dr Kalburgi.

“Dr Kalburgi was killed by a 7.65mm caliber country made pistol. The lead recovered from his body reportedly didn’t have the groove marks that are normally left behind by gun shots from sophisticated foreign-made pistols. Though the use of the pistol further nails the modus operandi of the killers, who could be from the same group or similar training as the assailants of Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Mr Govindrao Pansare in Maharashtra, it would be difficult to come to any firm conclusion till the police recover the firearm, which was used in the crime,” said an official source.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, has spread a wide inter-state network across Karnataka, Maharashtra and some North Indian states, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, from where illegal country made weapons are allegedly smuggled to other states.

Bhagwan gets threat letter

Renowned litterateur and thinker Prof K.S. Bhagwan received a threat letter here on Wednesday afternoon. While Prof Bhagwan is out of town, his family members received the letter around 12.30 pm at his residence on Udayaravi road in Kuvempunagar.

The family members immediately alerted the local police, who rushed to Prof. Bhagawan’s house. The police said that the letter has been posted in Bengaluru.

The letter, which is in English and addressed to Prof Bhagwan, reads, “B****d, Don’t relax thinking you are safe. Haavina dvesha (a serpent’s revenge) 12 years. 3 successful. Next you. Will never miss the target. No Police security will save you when we come. We know how to do it. Count your days”.

The police, who had stationed a gunman, a local policeman and a CAR platoon near his house after litterateur Dr M.M. Kalburgi was gunned down in Dharwad, increased security around his house.