Karnataka CM: Rationalists’ murderers have same mindset as Mahatma’s killers
Siddaramaiah was speaking at a memorial event in Bengaluru to mark the sixth death anniversary of Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her Rajarajeshwarinagar home on September 5, 2017.
Those who assassinated journalist Gauri Lankesh, author Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar have same mindset as that of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at a memorial event in Bengaluru to mark the sixth death anniversary of Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her Rajarajeshwarinagar home on September 5, 2017.
“Justice will be served only when the person who killed her is punished... I hope that the verdict will bring peace to her family and supporters,” Siddaramaiah said. “The investigation is going well and the charge sheet has been filed as well. Whatever they try, they will not succeed in getting away.”
The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Lankesh murder case has maintained that an unidentified organisation had recruited right-wing activists to carry out the crime.
“Those who killed Gauri, Pansare, Dabholkar are of same mindset as those who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi worked for the harmony of people from all communities and opposed communal forces. These are the same people who killed Gauri,” Siddaramaiah added.
Despite the charge sheet in the case being filed under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act in 2018, the trial remains in its initial stages. Only 83 of over 500 witnesses in the case have deposed before the court so far. The trial began as late as March 2022.
Pointing at the slow pace of the proceedings, Lankesh’s family members have demanded a special fast-track court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis.
“The charge sheet was filed in 2018, but instead of a speedy trial, the proceedings are being dragged on. We hope the government will speed up the trial,” Kavita Lankesh, the younger sister of Gauri, said.
The trial is also crucial because the SIT probe has unearthed a link between the case and the murders of rationalists – MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar.
“This is not just a story of one person. This is the story of anyone who raises their voice against communal forces. No one should fear them, because our fear is their strength,” Siddaramaiah said.
He recalled his several meetings with journalist Lankesh during his previous stint as the chief minister. “She always spoke about communal harmony, issues of adivasis, Naxalites, farmers and women. She was the voice of the people from all communities,” Siddaramaiah added.
The Maharashtra SIT, which is probing the murder of Govind Pansare, also found that the same gun was used in the Lankesh and Pansare murders. The link between the murders of Lankesh and Narendra Dabholkar — another rationalist from Maharashtra who was shot dead on August 20, 2013 — emerged during the later stages of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the state government has handed over the probe into death threat letters to several writers across the state for over a year now, to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru City Police.
Over 15 writers and intellectuals from the state have written to G Parameshwara, the state minister of home department, stating that they have been receiving threatening letters for the past year and have sought time to meet him. They also said that they received letters saying that they will meet the fate of the late activists MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh.
According to the complaint from the writers over the past year, several liberal writers in Karnataka have been persistently receiving death threats signed by an entity identifying as “Sahishnu Hindu.” While one individual was apprehended in connection with these threats, the threatening letters have persisted.
The state government has handed over the probe into death threat letters to several writers across the state for over a year now, to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru city police.
