SIT suspects right wing fundamentalists behind Gauri Lankesh killing

Bengaluru: As the investigation into the murder of eminent journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh progressed, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case is veering around to pinning the blame for the killing on right wing fundamentalists. As there are striking similarities in Ms. Lankesh's killing and other progressive thinkers and rationalists including Dr. M. M. Kalburgi, an SIT official has been sent to Mumbai to bring details of the murder cases of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar.

Sources said though they have not got any major clues about the killers so far, they suspect the role of some persons who are inclined to right wing ideologies are behind this. "The investigation is being done in four angles - right wing ideology, Naxalism, personal and controversial stories carried in Gauri Lankesh Patrike. But we have not found anything important in the last three angles. But, going by the ideology Ms. Lankesh had and the way she expressed her views and the similarity between her and other rationalists' murders have made us strongly believe that it is a murder carried out by some right-wing fundamentalists," an official said.

Though the SIT firmly believes that this angle led to the murder, they are reluctant to make their conclusion public, as they are treading carefully considering the seriousness of the case. Substantiating this, the SIT officials have held several rounds of talks with the CID team that is investigating rationalist Dr. M. M. Kalburgi's murder. The SIT officials reportedly gathered details from senior police officer, D. C. Rajappa, who was the first investigation officer in Dr. Kalburgi's case.

Further, a DySP rank official deputed in the SIT was sent to Mumbai on Saturday to bring the case details related to the murders of rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar. "We will study all these cases and its similarities with Ms. Lankesh's murder before we pin the blame on anyone," the official added.