The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case said it has arrested two more suspects. The two–Amit Raghavendra Baddi and Ganesh Miski– both residents of Hubballi, were arrested on Sunday, special investigating officer M N Anucheth told PTI.
He said they were produced before a metropolitan court, which remanded them in SIT custody till August 6 for further investigation.
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Anucheth did not disclose their role in the crime.
However, some police sources said Baddi and Miski had helped in recceing the area before Lankesh was shot dead on September 5 last year.
Baddi was said to be a goldsmith by profession, while Miski was into incense stick manufacturing business.
Nine suspects have been arrested in the case so far.
A seventh suspect was arrested earlier on Friday.
“A person identified as Mohan Nayak, 50, was arrested from Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka,” SIT investigating officer M N Ancheth had said.
The sixth person arrested by the SIT was 26-year-old Parashuram Waghmare from Sindhagi in Vijaypura district of the state. He was held in June. Waghmare was said to have links with rightwing groups.
The SIT previously arrested five people – K T Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja, Amol Kale, Manohar Edve, Sujeeth Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degvekar.
Lankesh was shot dead right in front of her Rajarajeshwari Nagar residence in Bengaluru.
Besides Baddi and Miski, the SIT has arrested K T Naveen Kumar, Amol Kale, Amit Degwekar, Parashuram Waghmare, Sujith Kumar, Manohar Edave and Mohan Naik. Waghmare had allegedly shot dead Lankesh.
Lankesh, a Left-leaning journalist-activist was said to have raised the hackles of the Hindu right with her strong views against hardline Hindutva.
Police suspects their involvement in the killing of rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka’s Dharwad. It is also trying to ascertain if they had any role in the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and CPI leader Govind Pansare in Maharashtra.
(With PTI inputs)
