Hope justice is delivered: I&B minister Smriti Irani on Gauri Lankesh's murder

New Delhi/Bengaluru: Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday condemned the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru and hoped that there would be a speedy investigation and justice delivered.

The Kannada journalist-activist, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence on Tuesday evening.

"Condemn killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Hope speedy investigation is conducted and justice delivered. Condolences to the family," the minister said on Twitter.

Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation and former Chief Minister of Karnataka DV Sadananda on Wednesday said the state government should hand over the case of murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh to CBI.

Editor's Guild of India said they are deeply shocked and strongly condemn the murder of Gauri Lankesh.

They demanded that Karnataka government act with alacrity to bring culprits to justice apart from instituting judicial probe.

The Guild said, "Her killing is an ominous portent for dissent in democracy and brutal assault on freedom of the press."

The Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) also expressed outrage at the dastardly killing of the senior journalist and said "Gauri was a trenchant critic of obscurantism and conservative values. The silencing of a journalist in this
manner has dangerous portents for democracy. We demand that the government apprehend the perpetrators at the earliest and expose those behind this planned murder of a senior woman journalist."

Various media organisations led by the Mumbai Press Club and Bombay Union of Journalists also condemned the killing of Kannda journalist Gauri Lankesh and sought a speedy probe in the case.

A candlelight vigil will be held at the press club in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, its secretary Dharmendra Jore said.

"To protest and condemn the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, there will be a candlelight vigil of journalists starting from the Mumbai Press Club at 7 pm today," he said.

Apart from the Mumbai Press Club, TV Journalists Association, Photographers Association and Network of Women in Media will join the protests, Jore said.

The Puducherry Journalists Association too condemned the murder of Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.

President of the Association D Sivakumar in a release termed the murder as " beastly and highly condemnable."

He also said the culprits involved in the "cowardly act" should be brought to book and deterrent action should be taken. The freedom of the press can never be gagged and protection of journalists coming out with candid comments and fearless views should be ensured in the larger interest of protecting democracy and constitutional supremacy, he added.

Gauri, 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately, with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said.

She died instantaneously.