(Eds: Updating with more quotes of the SIT chief)Bengaluru, Oct 14 (PTI) The Special Investigation Team(SIT) probing the killing of Gauri Lankesh today released thesketches of two suspects, along with the footage obtained fromCCTV cameras installed near the slain journalist's house.
Lankesh was gunned down by unidentified assailants infront of her residence here on September 5.
The 21-member SIT released the sketches, prepared on thebasis of information collected from witnesses, and the CCTVfootage more than five weeks after she was killed.
"There are only two suspects, but we have released threesketches, based on the accounts of two witnesses...We havereleased two sketches of one of the suspects because they weredrawn by two professional painters," SIT chief B K Singh toldreporters here.
Stating that his team had questioned around 200-250people in connection with its probe, Singh said the assailantshad used a 7.65 mm country-made pistol to gun down the veteranjournalist.
"We have also ruled out any professional rivalry behindLankesh's killing. In other words, no journalist was involvedin it. But, all other angles (including Naxal and personal)are being probed," he added.
Singh said the SIT was probing the case with "a freemind".
He added that the suspects, aged between 25 and 35 years,had stayed in Bengaluru for a minimum of seven days beforecommitting the crime and carried out a reconnaissance of thejournalist's house.
"We are trying to find out from the public where had theystayed. Once we find out who they were, whether they wereknown to the locals, everything will come out," he added.
Replying to a query, the SIT chief said the investigatorshad collected certain clues from the video footage obtainedfrom the house of Lankesh.
"In fact, we began our investigation by collectingevidence from her house on the day of the crime," he added.
Singh said the SIT could not say with a "100-per centsurety" whether the pattern behind the killings ofrationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare inMaharashtra, progressive Kannada writer M M Kalburgi inDharwad, Karnataka and Lankesh was similar.
"There are some dissimilarities between the Gauri(Lankesh), Pansare, Dabholkar and Kalburgi cases, but there isan equal number of similarities also. So, we cannot say with a100-per cent surety (whether there is a pattern behind thesekillings)," he said.
The SIT chief also refuted reports that they had soughtassistance from Scotland Yard in solving the case.
"We will definitely seek assistance from internationalagencies if we require. In this case, we have not sought anysuch help," he said.
The footage released by the SIT shows a man riding amotorcycle without a registration number, apparently toconceal his identity.
Singh said while in certain portions of the footage, thesuspects were seen wearing helmets, there were other portionswhere they were seen not wearing it and this provided a scopeto the investigators to see their faces.
He added that the sketches were released so that thesuspects could be traced and requested the people to shareinformation with the SIT, if they had any.
The officer said members of the public could shareinformation regarding the suspects with the SIT on mobilenumber 9480800202, WhatsApp numbers 9480800304, 9480801701 orby sending e-mails to 'sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in'.
Singh added that if the information provided by anyoneled to the arrest of the accused, the identity of theinformant would not be revealed and he would be "suitablyrewarded" as had already been declared by the Karnatakagovernment.
The SIT, headed by Inspector General of Police Singh, wasformed a day after Lankesh (55) was killed.
The killing of the journalist, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, hadled to national outrage and protests over alleged "risingintolerance" in the country and attempts to muzzle dissent,with the criticism targeted at the central government andright-wing groups.
The Karnataka government has announced a Rs-10 lakhreward for anyone who would provide clues on the killing ofLankesh.
As a political slugfest broke out over the killing of thejournalist, her family had made a plea against giving apolitical colour to it.
The family had also urged the investigators to look intoall possibilities behind Lankesh's killing, whether a rightwing or a Naxal angle, as reports had emerged about a possibleNaxal hand, beside the suspected involvement of right-wingextremists, the ideology she was opposed to. PTI BDN GMS RAAPR TVS APRRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.