Journalist Gauri Lankesh, who led crusade against communalism, shot dead

coastaldigest.com news network
September 5, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 5: Veteran journalist and peace activist Gauri Lankesh (55) who led a crusade against saffron extremists and communalism in Karnataka for decades was on Tuesday shot dead by unidentified gunmen near her residence in Bengaluru.

The incident took place within a few days after the second anniversary of the assassination of M M Kalburgi, a rationalist and former vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi, who also had earned the wrath of Hindutva extremists through his writings. The manner in which Gauri was killed was eerily similar to the way in which Kalburgi was killed.

According to reports, at around 7: 00 pm, the gunmen shot at Gauri and wounded her fatally before escaping from the scene.  Police said that Gauri was getting out of her car to open the gate of her house, when assailants shot her. The shots penetrated her chest and she was killed on the spot, reports said.

Gauri was the daughter of revolutionary journalist P Lankesh. She was a veteran editor and columnist in both Kannada and English, and was a vocal critic of the right wing.

Last year, she was convicted of criminal defamation in two cases by the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court in Hubballi on Monday. Dharwad BJP MP Prahallad Joshi and BJP leader Umesh Dhushi had filed individual defamation cases against Lankesh in objection to a report on BJP leaders she had published in her periodical on January 23, 2008.

According to the police, Gauri left her office - Gauri Lankesh Patrike - at Gandhi Bazar around 7 pm. She reached her home around 7.45 pm.

As she was about to open the main door, three assailants called her. As she stepped out, they pumped four bullets from point-blank range. The bullets pierced her abdomen and chest.

Neighbours rushed out on hearing gunshots and Gauri's screams and called an ambulance.

"The house is located in a secluded area near Ideal Homes in Rajarajeshwarinagar. There was no immediate help after the attack," said Shivasundar, Gauri's close aide.

Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said it is yet to be ascertained whether the assailants were following Gauri or waiting near her residence.

"Four cartridges have been found at the spot. There are two CCTV cameras at the house and the footage will be examined after forensic officials inspect the spot. Three teams have been formed to nab the assailants, including one headed by joint commissioner (crime). We are also checking other CCTV cameras in the area," Kumar said.

The police said that the modus operandi in Gauri's murder is similar to that of Kalburgi case.

Gauri is the eldest daughter of revolutionary Kannada journalist and thinker P Lankesh. Gauri was known for her writings against the RSS and the BJP.

She had spearheaded several movements in the state and was instrumental in facilitating the surrender of Maoists who wanted to return to the mainstream.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Soon after the police submit a preliminary report, we will determine the nature of the probe.”

The chief minister clarified that Gauri had not sought police protection and that there were no intelligence reports indicating a threat to her life.

After visiting the spot, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, "She (Gauri) was staying alone and her mother was with her sister Kavitha in Uttarahalli. The officials told me that she met DGP R K Dutta three times. However, she never shared any information about a threat to her life. In fact, she called me on Saturday and said that she would meet on Monday. But she did not turn up,'' Reddy said.

The body was shifted to the Victoria Hospital for postmortem. A family member said the funeral would be held on Wednesday.

Comments

ayman kudroli
 - 
Tuesday, 5 Sep 2017

wipe out namardonki fouj club of bachelors what  akbaruddin owaisi said once its true ban rss terrorist org

Habeeb Puttur
 - 
Tuesday, 5 Sep 2017

Definately behind this murder KP Bhat and Raghu Swamy... arrest them soon...just check last week's gauri lankesh pathrike main page, what she wrote....and about whom...

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News Network
November 11,2024

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Udupi, Nov 11: The Karkala town police in Udupi have arrested Krishna Naik, the sculptor responsible for installing a 33-foot Parashurama statue at Umikkal Hill in Bailur, Karkala taluk. 

Naik, the owner of Krish Art World and a resident of Bengaluru's Visvesvaraya Layout, was apprehended in Mahe, part of the Union Territory of Puducherry, for allegedly substituting a look-alike statue in place of a genuine bronze figure at the Parashurama Theme Park in Karkala.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun K confirmed the arrest, stating that Naik faces charges under Sections 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. 

This legal action followed a complaint lodged in June by Krishna Shetty, a resident of Nallur village, Karkala. Shetty claimed that Naik had received a payment of ₹1,25,50,000 from Udupi Nirmithi Kendra for the installation of a bronze Parashurama statue. However, Naik allegedly deceived the government by installing a replica instead.

The statue was unveiled on January 27, 2023, by then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has since ordered a CID investigation to probe deeper into the alleged fraud surrounding the statue's installation at the theme park.

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News Network
November 22,2024

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Bengaluru, Nov 22: For the second day running, the Karnataka BJP on Friday staged a statewide protest condemning the government’s alleged move to notify land of farmers as Waqf property.

The BJP staged a protest before the offices of Deputy Commissioners at district headquarters.

The BJP leaders are vehemently demanding that the state government cancel a 1974 Gazette notification in this regard.

The agitators are also demanding scrapping of the Waqf Board and the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan.

The BJP MLAs, MLCs, MPs gathered in the premises of Freedom Park and staged a protest under the leadership of Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and slammed the state government.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa led the protest in Mysuru and hundreds of party workers and farmers staged the protest under the leadership of former MP Pratap Simha in Kodagu.

Former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh led the agitation in Mandya.

This was the first time that Sumalatha took part in the party’s programme after the Lok Sabha elections.

State President B.Y. Vijayendra claimed, “The Congress government in Karnataka is issuing notices to farmers claiming the ownership of their lands to the Waqf Board and pushing them on the streets overnight.”

In the first week of December, three teams formed by the BJP will travel across the state and record the grievances of farmers.

“The state government is attempting to snatch away the lands belonging to temples as well,” Vijayendra alleged and added that the teams would comprise all senior leaders of the BJP.

Meanwhile, the police have taken Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik into custody while staging a protest march to the office of Zameer Ahmad Khan in Bengaluru.

Muthalik along with Hindutva activists was planning to lay siege to Zameer’s office over the Waqf row.

The police stopped Muthalik and requested him to submit the memorandum by reaching the minister’s office in a vehicle. However, Muthalik refused to go with the police and continued his footmarch. The police took him into custody following arguments.

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News Network
November 17,2024

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An Israeli airstrike on the office of Syria’s Baath party in Lebanon’s capital Beirut has killed the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah's Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif, reports say.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli raid struck the Ba'ath party’s building in central Beirut district of Ras Al-Naba'a on Sunday, adding that the strike was an attempt to assassinate the leader of the resistance media front.

According to Baath Secretary-General Ali Hijazi, Afif was having a meeting in the Baath Party headquarters when Israel carried out the attack.

"Afif did not fight with weapons and did not lead a military unit in Hezbollah. Rather, he led a media unit," he said.

Reuters, Sky News, Al Jazeera and a number of Henrew-language media reported that Afif was killed in the Israeli strike.

However, Hezbollah has not yet confirmed Afif’s death or whether he was present at the site or not.

Earlier, the Lebanese Health Ministry said at least one person was killed and three others injured after an Israeli strike targeted a central district in Beirut.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported that five people were killed in the attack.

The latest development came after Afif said Hezbollah was behind the Caesarea operation and targeting Netanyahu’s home during a speech at the Ghobeiry area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on October 22.

This was the second assassination attempt on Afif in the last two months, after he survived an attack on the Hezbollah media relations office several weeks ago.

Israel launched a ground assault and massive air campaign against Lebanon in late September after a year of exchanging fire across the Lebanese border in parallel with the Gaza war.

At least 3,287 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past year, with the vast majority in the past seven weeks. Another 14,222 have been wounded, mostly women and children.

In response to the ongoing aggression, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been staging hundreds of retaliatory strikes against the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli forces trying to advance on southern Lebanese areas.

The movement has vowed to sustain its strikes until the regime ends the escalation.

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