In a shocking and ghastly incident, senior journalist and activist Gauri lankesh, 55, was shot dead at her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday around 8 pm. Three masked men fired seven rounds point-blank killing Gauri on the spot, said an eyewitness.
Her body was found in the veranda of her house in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, police said.
The editor of lankesh Patrike — a popular Kannada tabloid inherited from her father, famous writer and thinker lankesh — Gauri was a fearless journalist and a human to the core, sources said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered a high-level probe and condoled her death. He said, “I knew her for two decades. She was fearless and always concerned about the downtrodden. I have ordered a high-level probe... In fact, this is an assassination on democracy. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice and I have lost a friend.”
In November 2016, she was sentenced to six months in jail after a defamation case was filed against her for a report against BJP leader Prahlad Joshi.
“Shocking and blood curling to hear about the murder of Gauri lankesh. These monstrous criminals must be nailed and dealt with sternly,” tweeted Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon.
Gauri has left an indelible mark in the profession which is worth practicing when the journalism is at the cross roads. “We got the information just now. She was returning home. She got down from her car and she was opening the gate when she was shot. The details are sketchy. We are yet to know who has done it,” said DGP RK Dutta.
A neighbour who heard the gunshots said there were multiple shots.
Sadanand Shenoy, president of Press club of Bengaluru, condoled the death of Gauri. He said, “The ghastly incident which silenced Gauri has shaken the fraternity and we salute her fearless journalism.”
BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa too has condoled the death of Gauri. He said, “It is a barbaric and heinous act which is condemnable.”
G Parameshwara, KPCC president, said it is a great loss to the community of fearless and independent journalists.