Gauri Lankesh Murder Case: Investigation Reveals Several Other Targets Were On List

The investigation into the gruesome murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh has made another revelation.

Karnataka police said on Wednesday, June 12, eminent film and theatre personality Girish Karnad and several litterateurs and rationalists were on the hit list of those suspected of killing Gauri Lankesh.

SIT investigation

The development came after Special Investigation Team (SIT) recovered a diary from one of the suspects. There were several entries in the journal made in Hindi, claimed the SIT. The diary has names of personalities who are known for opposing strong Hindutva views. According to SIT sources, some entries were made in code format and efforts are going on to decrypt them, reported Deccan Chronicle.

Other than Karnad, a recipient of the Jnanpith Award, the highest honor in literature, politician-litterateur BT Lalitha Naik, Pontiff Veerabhadra Channamalla Swamy of Nidumamidi Mutt and rationalist CS Dwarakanath also named in the dairy.

On Monday, SIT arrested Parashuram Waghmore, the sixth person in connection with the Gauri Lankesh case. Parashuram Waghmore, was present at the spot when the journalist-activist, writer was shot dead outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on September 5, 2017, said sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the killing.

It is still not confirmed if he pulled the trigger or not, the sources said “We have to confirm if he was the shooter or only accompanied the killer. At present, he is making contradictory statements to mislead us,” reports The Times Of India.

The SIT has arrested five others in connection with the case. KT Naveen alias Hotte Manja, Amol Kale, Manohar Edve, Sujeeth Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degvekar. While Naveen Kumar is from Maddur in Mandya district of Karnataka, Amol Kale and Amit Degvekar are from Maharashtra.