The Karnataka government has established a Special Investigation Team headed by an Inspector-General of Police to probe the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Announcing the decision after a meeting with senior police officers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters that he had directed the Director-General of Police to enlist the services of “as many officers” as are needed to “exclusively probe” the killing, which, he said, appeared to be a work of “organised crime."

Siddaramaiah said his government was open to transferring the case relating to the murder two years ago of scholar MM Kalburgi, which is being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to the SIT if clear evidence emerged from the latest case.

Siddaramaiah said the Maharashtra Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were confident of nabbing those involved in the murder of Kalburgi and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. “I cannot disclose details of the investigation as it is still progressing,” he added.

Siddaramaiah said he had directed the Karnataka police to give protection to all progressive thinkers and activists even if they did not seek police protection.

Speaking after paying his last respects to the slain journalist, Siddharamaiah said Lankesh had made a name as a journalist with forthright views and who was motivated by a strong sense of justice. She had made enormous efforts to bring Naxalites to the mainstream of society and had facilitated the surrender of some of these Naxals before the authorities.

“The government will ensure that Gauri Lankesh gets justice,” he said. “Her killing was part of an organised crime.”

Parallels in killings

The modus operandi of Lankesh’s killing is similar to the murder of Kalaburgi two years ago. In both the cases, the assailants came on a two-wheeler; while the rider remained seated on the vehicle, the pillion rider got off to carry out the killing. The weapons used in both the killings were country-made pistols.

On Tuesday night, Lankesh had parked her car near her residence after returning from her office in Gandhi Nagar in central Bangalore. The CCTV footage from cameras in her house shows her parking her car and heading into her house. At that time, she is accosted by a gunman wearing a mask and a helmet.

Within seconds, the gunman opens fire; she is hit on her forehead and her chest, and falls down. The gunman is then seen running back.

The police said the gunman fired at least seven rounds, of which three hit Lankesh in the head, neck and chest, while the rest struck the front wall of the house. The police said there were at least five CCTV cameras installed in the house and one in the basement.

Reactions

Umadevi, wife of Kalaburgi, expressed shock over Lankesh’s murder, which she termed an assault on the right to free expression. Talking to reporters at Hubballi, she wondered if people in “this great democracy have any right to express their feelings” or if there was a ban on responding to injustices in society.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar and Lok Sabha member Pralhad Joshitermed it a brutal assault on the right to free expression.

Bengaluru-based journalists held a protest under the banner of the Press Club of Bengaluru and the Bengaluru Reporters’ Guild.

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