Gauri Lankesh remembered as a gutsy journalist

Noted journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her residence in south Bengaluru on Tuesday evening.

According to eyewitnesses, three men on a motorcycle shot her at close range as she stood outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

Lankesh, 55, was the daughter of litterateur and filmmaker P Lankesh.

She had ideological differences with right-wing outfits.

The BJP’s Dharwad MP, Prahlad Joshi, and another party leader, Umesh Dushi, had filed defamation cases against her, objecting to a report against the party’s leaders published by Lankesh in her periodical in January 2008.

Lankesh was convicted in the case last year by a judicial magistrate first class court in Hubballi and sentenced to six months’ jail. She was, however, granted bail and allowed to appeal the verdict.

She took over editorship of the popular publication Lankesh Patrike after her father passed away and later started her own publication, Gauri Lankesh Patrike .

Lankesh is survived by her two siblings, Kavita and Indrajit, both of whom are popular filmmakers. Indrajit recently joined the BJP.

Several people in media and public life took to Twitter to express shock at Lankesh’s killing.

“As a friend, colleague & admirer for decades shocked & shattered to hear of the murder of Gauri Lankesh, one of India’s gutsiest journalists,” said Vir Sanghvi, an eminent media personality.

Lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted: “Shocking & tragic! Brave journalist Gauri Lankesh who exposed the BJP has been shot dead in her home in Bangalore!”

Karnataka police chief RK Dutta said Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. She had not voiced apprehension about any threat to her life during a couple of meetings he had had with Lankesh, he added.

Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy condemned the incident, calling it unfortunate.

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