Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the establishment of a special court to expedite the trials in the murder cases of renowned rationalist thinker and writer MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh. Gauri and Kalburgi were well-known for their strong views against communalism in Karnataka. They had also been vocally opposed to right-wing communalism and religious fundamentalism. The investigations found that both murders were ideologically motivated, and linked them to a broader conspiracy targeting left-leaning activists.
77-year-old MM Kalburgi was shot dead at his Dharwad residence in August 2015. Despite the submission of a charge sheet in 2018-19 and the completion of family inquiries, legal proceedings faced delays, prompting persistent requests from the deceased's wife, Umadevi M. “Responding to these appeals, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the initiation of necessary actions for the formation of a special court exclusively dedicated to the Kalburgi case,” read the government order dated December 2.
Journalist Gauri Lankesh was assassinated in a similar manner outside her Bengaluru residence where she was shot dead on September 5, 2017. The police arrested 18 persons in relation to the murder, conspiracy and planning and presented a comprehensive charge sheet with 1200 pieces of evidence. However, the trial, which began in July 2022, has been hampered by the court's backlog. In response to the plea from Gauri Lankesh's sister, Kavita Lankesh, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed the formation of a special court with a full-time judge to expedite the trial.
In 2019, the SIT had said in the chargesheet that the Hindu extremist organisation, Sanatan Sanstha, is responsible for the murder of Gauri Lankesh. The SIT also said that the murder of Gauri Lankesh was linked to the murders of other left-leaning activists and rationalists like Professor MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. Police concluded that a common group was behind these murders, all allegedly driven by ideological motives.
TNM has extensively covered these cases over the years. Read our stories here.