Bengaluru: Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Thursday said the government does not want to share any leads pertaining to the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her residence by unidentified assailants on the night of September 5.
“Right now, we don’t want to share anything with media. We don’t want to discuss about FSL report, for now,” he told reporters here.
There are reports appearing in some section of the media that SIT would receive FSL report soon. Earlier, Reddy had said SIT had gathered “some clues” in the case.
A 21-member Special Investigation Team headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh is probing the case and the state government has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone providing clues about the case that had led to nationwide protests.
Amidst giving naxal and Hindutva touch to Gauri’s killing, the interrogation of Gauri’s brother Indrajit Lankesh, has given a new angle to the case.
Indrajit was interrogated by SIT yesterday based on a complaint filed by Gauri in 2005 accusing him of threatening her with a gun over a property dispute. The police reportedly have said that Indrajit is not cooperating with the investigations as they are making efforts to check the weapon he had used.
Various Left-leaning organisations and leaders have alleged involvement of Hindutva forces for Gauri’s killing, while some saffron outfits suspect the hands of naxals, who have been critical about the murdered journalist for bringing some of their members into the mainstream.
Some intellectuals also have reportedly threatened to move the Supreme Court if SIT fails to crack the case quickly. Noted writer and thinker Dr K Marulasiddappa on September 10 had demanded that the case should be probed by Supreme Court-monitored special investigation team so that the investigation is free of political influence.
This demand comes in the wake of failure of investigating authorities to crack MM Kalburgi case, who was shot dead at his residence in Dharwad in August 2015.
Even as investigating authorities are making efforts to get some leads, Reddy yesterday had dismissed as “mere speculations” reports about the modus operandi of the assailants and the type of weapons used to kill 55-year old Gauri.
On September 10, Reddy had said SIT had gathered “some clues” in connection with the case. The government also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh to anyone providing clues. The media has been speculating about the modus operandi of the crime committed by assailants, and type of weapons used to kill Lankesh.
There were also reports of the Andhra Pradesh Police forming a special team to assist the Karnataka Police. There were also reports that the SIT had interrogated as many as 80 people across Karnataka.
Reacting to the reports, Investigating Officer M N Anucheth had said that there was no substance in them. “I can only say, there is no substance in such media reports. When there is something concrete, we would certainly brief the media,” he said.
