Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the cold blooded murder of well known journalist, editor and activist Gauri Lankesh on September 5 outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, has reportedly got some “leads, which may suggest financial and personal reasons behind her murder. They, however, need to be verified,” said an official source on condition of anonymity.
According to informed sources, the SIT met Gauri’s mother Indira Lankesh last weekend and reportedly asked her for the property documents, which will throw light on how the family property and assets have been divided; among her and her three children Gauri and her siblings Indrajit and Kavitha.
On Wednesday, the team inspected Indira’s four acre farmhouse in Nelmangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru, reportedly in search of some documents. They questioned Indrajit with who Gauri didn’t share a good rapport after a public spat between them in 2005 over the ownership of Lankesh Patrike.
“The SIT, which is exploring the three prominent angles behind her murder, of the alleged involvement of the Right or Left wings or people close to her, has reportedly got some important clues, which allegedly suggest financial and personal reasons behind her murder,” the officer said. Sources told this newspaper that someone who knew her and her movements had reportedly informed her killers that fatal evening.
“Who would have most benefitted with her death and what could have been the motive, behind her elimination are the key questions that need to be investigated. Though Gauri was a very well-known figure, her growing political clout; whether it was for government advertisements, which were reportedly committed to her for her weekly tabloid after she met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently or her political views on the controversial issue of minority tag for her community – the Lingayats may have aggravated the frayed nerves of some people, who may have felt insecure or threatened by her growing stature,” he said.
“Gauri was killed with a country made weapon because the entry and exit bullet injuries in her body including the one which killed her do not match with bullet injuries shot by factory made branded firearms. The barrel of the latter has grooves through which the bullet spins out and enters the target (the body). While the entry point is small, the bullet, when it exits, leaves a bigger hole. In Gauri’s case, the entry and exit holes were of the same dimension,” said another officer.
