Hours after senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was murdered outside her home in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised to find her killers.
The outspoken editor was murdered on Tuesday evening at her Ideal Home Layout residence in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar. According to reports, around 8pm, unidentified men shot at Gauri and wounded her fatally before escaping from the scene. Initial reports state that more than seven shots were fired and at least 3 bullets hit her.
Police say that Gauri was getting out of her car to open the gate of her house, when assailants shot her. The shots penetrated her and she was killed on the spot, reports say.
Speaking to the media after the news of her murder broke, Siddaramaiah said, “Her death is deeply shocking. She fought against superstition, communalism and fundamentalism. She was deeply involved in social change. I have instructed the police to take every effort to immediately apprehend the perpetrators.”
"There was no intel prior to the attack. Even Gauri Lankesh hadn't sought police protection," the CM said on Twitter.
Absolutely shocked to learn about the murder of renowned journalist Gauri Lankesh. I have no words to condemn this heinous crime.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 5, 2017
In fact, this is an assassination on democracy. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice, and I have lost a friend.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 5, 2017
The CM further said that three police teams have been formed to investigate and nab the culprits.
He also said that he cannot comment on any connection between Kalburgi's death and her death, when asked if there was a link between the two shootings. When asked why MM Kalburgi case has not been solved till now, the CM said that even in Maharashtra, Narendra Dhabolkar's assailants have not been found yet.
Meanwhile, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan reacted to the murder, saying, "The murder of Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru has stunned the world of media. It is extremely serious that she has been murdered in her own house. It is undemocratic that you eliminate people who raise their voices against you. If it has happened in Karnataka today, it could happen anywhere tomorrow. It will be the end of democracy if people do not have the right to express."