Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy today claimed the Special Investigation Team probing the killing of senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh has got clues and is in the process of gathering evidence. Gauri Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of September 5.
“We have got clues, but we cannot tell things to the media for now, because we should have correct evidence for the clues we have got,” he told reporters at Chikkaballapura.
He said “If there are no proper evidence when we file a charge sheet at the court, it won’t stand. So we are trying to collect the evidence correctly… Our SIT is working towards gathering evidence.”
The Minister had on September 9 made similar claims about SIT having gathered “some clues” in connection with the case, as he expressed hopes about nabbing the culprits soon. The Karnataka government, which has constituted the SIT headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh, has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone who gives clues about the killing that led to outrage and protests.
As a political slug fest broke out over the killing, her family had pleaded against giving a political colour to it.
The family had said the investigators should look into all angles behind Gauri’s killing, whether it was right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about a possible Naxal hand, other than suspected involvement of right-wing extremists, the ideology Gauri opposed.
