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Gauri Lankesh murder case: SIT invokes Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act
The Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act, 2000 deals with unlawful activities committed by an individual, either as a member of an organised crime syndicate or on behalf of a syndicate.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh invoked the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), 2000, on Tuesday, a senior officer said.
The KCOCA deals with unlawful activities committed by an individual, either as a member of an organised crime syndicate or on behalf of a syndicate. And its invocation signals that the police believe there was a larger organisation behind the conspiracy.
So far, 12 people have been arrested by the SIT in connection with the murder of Lankesh, who was gunned down outside her house on September 5.
The invocation of the Act comes in the backdrop of arrests made by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad, which is looking at possible links between the accused and the murder of Lankesh, and those of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi.
A senior officer of the SIT said the crucial link to prove a larger conspiracy was found in a diary recovered from one of the main accused in Lankesh’s case, Amol Kale. Kale, a mechanical engineer from Maharashtra, is said to have plotted the killing along with Amit Degwekar, who has also been arrested, and one Nihal alias Dada, who is still at large.
