BENGALURU: The family of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by an unidentified person on Tuesday, has said that they will seek legal course for a CBI probe if the state-appointed special investigation team (SIT) fails to achieve a breakthrough and arrest the culprit.
At a joint press conference on Thursday at their residence, the brother-sister duo of Kavitha and Indrajit Lankesh expressed their satisfaction over the pace of SIT investigation. “The investigation has begun. It is doing well, we hope at least the murderer is arrested soon. Anyway, later on they will find out who is behind it,” said Kavitha.
She said it is definitely ideological differences that led to her sister’s death. When questioned whether there was a threat to Gauri’s life, she said that Gauri had mentioned about it but never took it seriously. “Even last Sunday she had told us about some person lurking around her house. But she just said that she will lock up herself inside the house and sleep. The incident came as a shock to us after a couple of days,” she said. “We never thought she was that big in society to meet such an end,” she added.
When questioned whether Gauri had received any threat mails or messages, Kavitha said there were none except simple single line statements like ‘You will be destroyed’.
To a question on whether Maoists, whom Gauri had been working to bring them into the mainstream, could be behind the killing, Kavitha replied in negative saying she had been working for their welfare.
Earlier, speaking to reporters, Indrajit said Gauri had never mentioned about any threat to her life, but she had spoken about it to his sister and mother.
To a question on whether he suspects anybody’s role in the murder, he said it is obviously the fundamentalists. “Maybe the right wing extremists or even left wing. Initially, we thought it was handiwork of right wing extremists. Media reports too suggested that, but later on, there was talk of left wing extremists. We don’t know who is behind this. The investigation is on,” he said.
Expressing his satisfaction over the ongoing investigations, he said the family is happy with the probe, but he personally prefers a CBI investigation.