Parashuram Waghmare killed Gauri Lankesh, says SIT

Bengaluru : A Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday claimed that Gauri Lankesh was murdered by Parashuram Waghmare and people belonging to his organisation. "Waghmare shot Lankesh and the forensic report has confirmed that (rationalists) Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Lankesh were murdered with the same weapon, which is yet to be traced," a senior officer in the SIT said.

The SIT official also added that the Parashuram's organisation have over 60 men spread across five states but had no name. “We discovered that this gang has a network in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. We did not find their Uttar Pradesh connection so far,” the official informed PTI.

He also said though it recruited people from hardline Hindutva organisations like Maharashtra-based Hindu Jagruti Samiti and Sanatan Sanstha, these outfits may not be directly responsible for the killings.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at the entrance of her home on September 5.