Journalist Gauri Lankesh murder mastermind calm and simple person, say neighbours

MUMBAI: Amol Kale, who allegedly masterminded murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, is a simple and calm person if his neighbours are to be believed. Kale lives in a typical middle- class neighbourhood on Pimpri-Chinchwad Link Road near Pune with his family that includes his wife, five-year-old son and elderly mother. His father died recently.

“His son goes to a nearby pre-primary school and the couple follows a very simple lifestyle,” a neighbour said.

Residents of the Akshay Plaza in Manik Colony, whom Express contacted, said it was difficult for them to believe that the simple looking guy staying next door could have had any role in a heinous act like the murder of Gauri Lankesh.

The neighbours, who don’t want to be identified, said very little was known to the residents of the apartment, even though the family has been living there for nearly 15 years now.

Amol’s father used to run a paan-bidi shop in Pimpri camp while he did some business like trading of small mechanical parts for a living, some neighbours said. Others said he traded in the stock markets.

The family didn’t mingle much with the neighbours,  the residents said, adding that they hardly expected Amol to do so since he travelled a lot for work and wa hardly available at home. But his wife, too, remained aloof, even during community programmes in the society, they said.

According to some residents, Kale was the convenor of the Chinchwad unit of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a right-wing group. But HJS claims he had severed ties with the outfit about 10 years ago.

Kale was arrested in the Gauri murder case on May 31.