Did Gauri Lankesh's killers lodge close to her home? Cops launch probe

After the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh in front of her Raja Rajeshwari Nagar residence, the entire neighbourhood is now under the scanner of the Special Investigative Team (SIT). 

On Wednesday morning, homeowners, the staff of lodges and hotels opened their newspapers to find a pamphlet issued by the SIT, requesting them to assist with the investigation.

The SIT has asked these persons to provide them with the details of anyone who may have moved out of rented homes or lodges after September 5–the day Gauri Lankesh was murdered.

A total of 22,000 such pamphlets have been printed and distributed to paying guest accommodations, hostels, religious guest houses and resorts in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar.

These establishments have been asked to furnish details of any suspicious activities or persons. They have asked to provide information about anyone who has moved out of these establishments after September 5.

The SIT has handed out a mobile phone number and an email address to send across any details anyone might have. 

“We have come to know that the assailant had conducted a reconnaissance of Gauri Lankesh’s home a few hours before she was killed. We want to know if the assailant was familiar with this area,” an investigating officer said.

The SIT, with this move, is trying to determine if the assailant is from Bengaluru city, Karnataka or from any other state. “Hence, we have asked for information to figure out the identity of the killers,” the officer added.

Gauri Lankesh was murdered in cold blood outside her home in Bengaluru’s Raja Rajeshwari Nagar on September 5.

So far, the SIT is pursuing various leads. The police said that the assailant had twice conducted a recce of Gauri’s home on the day the murder occurred.

The police also suspect that a red-coloured pulsar bike was used by the assailant for the recce. 

The SIT has also taken the statements of former gangsters Agni Sreedhar and Muttappa Rai.

Sreedhar told the SIT that the Hindu Brigade sleeper cells may be involved in Gauri’s murder