Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Editor, social activist and a vitriolic critic of right-wing extremism, Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead outside her residence in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru by three unidentified assailants, setting off public outcry and comparison with murders of Dr M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar, Tuesday night.

Lankesh, in her early 50s, was editor of Kannada tabloid “Gauri Lankesh Patrike”,  slain just as he returned from office and was about to enter her house.  She was the daughter of late poet-turned-journalist P Lankesh who launched “Lankesh Patrike” several decades ago.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said three special investigation teams of police officers would investigate the murder and that he would initiate another investigation if necessary. He said the top brass of state police department informed him that she had not sought protection nor discussed about threats from any quarters.

Her friends, however, feared that she fell a victim because of her acerbic posts on Facebook against right wing organisations — the latest being a comment on a video posted by former Union minister Shashi Taroor about nuns celebrating Onam in Kerala. In her comment she remarked “KERALITES celebrating Onam. religious differences be damned!!!!! this is the reason why they call their Rs country’ (i call it country, did you notice cheddis??) as “Gods own country”. please, my mallu friends, please keep up your spirit of secularism. (PS: hopefully next time i am in God’s own country, someone will get me nice Kerala beef dish!!!! And cheddis be damned!!!!)” taking a dig at RSS activists.