MHA gets report by Karnataka government on Gauri Lankesh murder

File Picture Courtesy : The News Minute

The Union Home Ministry has received a report from the Karnataka government on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh by unidentified persons in Bangalore, an official said.

According to a report by PTI, the state chief secretary in his factual report gave detailed account of the sensational killing and the follow up action by the police.

The report also mentioned that the state government had set up a special investigation team to probe the case and find out those involved in the murder of the 55-year-old journalist, the home ministry official said.

The report came after the ministry asked the Karnataka government to inform it about the details of the incident.

The report was sought after Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to do so.

Meanwhile , according to report in Indian Express , Almost three days after the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh, the forensics laboratory (FSL) team that examined evidence pertaining to the case have ascertained the make of the weapon used and the distance from which the shots were fired.

Speaking to Express, a senior officer of the FSL team confirmed that the weapon used by the assailants was a country-made 7.65 mm pistol, based on the examination of empty cartridges that were collected from the crime scene. The officer added that the assailants shot the bullets from a distance of 10 feet. While one bullet misfired, three went through Gauri’s body, said the officer. The misfired bullet hit a wall, the pieces of which were collected by the FSL team from the crime spot.

Contrary to initial reports that a foreign-made gun was used to assassinate Gauri, it has now been ascertained that the type of gun used was similar to the ones used in the murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and M M Kalburgi and Govind Pansare, a left-wing politician.