Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police is on the hunt to trace and nab the killers of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Following journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh's murder+ on Tuesday night, police commissioner T Suneel Kumar directed all DCPs to carry out nakabandi across the city.
As a precautionary measure, checkposts were erected on all main roads. Cops were deployed at toll gates in Nelamangala, Hosur Road and NICE Road and all vehicles entering and exiting the city were subjected to stringent checks.
"Three special teams set up to crack the case are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are taking the movements of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) M.N. Anucheth said.
"We have alerted our counterparts in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as well," said Anucheth.
Lankesh, 55, editor of Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike', had parked her car outside the gate of her residence and was walking to the main entrance when the attackers fired at least seven rounds. As she ran to the door, three bullets hit Lankesh in the head, neck and chest, while four struck the front wall of the house. Lankesh died instantly, police said. On Monday night, activists and supporters of Gauri staged a flash protest at Corporation Circle, condemning the death of the senior journalist. Similar protests were held in other parts of the state, including Dharwad and Gadag.
Union minister Smriti Irani also condemned the heinous crime, urging for a speedy justice. Gauri Lankesh was known for anti-establishment stand
Gauri Lankesh was known for her anti-establishment, pro-poor and pro-Dalit stand.
Among very few woman editors in Kannada journalism, she was a fierce activist, who openly expressed her pro-Naxalite and Leftist views.
Born in 1962, Gauri was the daughter of legendary Kannada journalist and founding editor of Kannada weekly tabloid 'Lankesh Patrike'.
Her siblings - Kavitha and Indrajit Lankesh - are film and theatre personalities. Gauri started her own Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike' in 2005 after quitting as editor of Lankesh Patrike following differences with her brother and paper's proprietor and publisher Indrajit.
She was convicted by a magisterial court in Hubballi last year in connection with a defamation case filed by BJP MP Pralhad Joshi and party office bearer Umesh Doshi who had objected to publication of a report against them in her periodical on January 23, 2008. Gauri had in the past worked for the rehabilitation of Naxalites who wanted to return to the social mainstream and was one among those involved in the founding of Citizens Initiative for Peace (CiP) in the state.
