India
So far nine people have been arrested by Karnataka police’s SIT in connection with journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder case
Karnataka police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested two more persons in connection with the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.
The two suspects have been identified as Amit Baddi, 28 and Ganesh Miskin, 27, residents of Hubballi. The SIT had earlier arrested seven suspects - KT Naveen Kumar, Amol Kale, Amit Degwekar, Parashuram Waghmare, Sujith Kumar, Manohar Edave and Mohan Naik.
The SIT got a tip-off about the duo during investigation. Amit is a goldsmith while Ganesh is into incense stick making business and also drives an auto rickshaw.
Sources said that both were members of right-wing outfits. However, their families refuted the claims.
When the news of Baddi’s arrest was telecast on TV, his mother collapsed. Later, she told reporters that the family is clueless about why he was arrested and taken to Bengaluru.
She also defended her son and said that he was struggling to earn a livelihood for the family. Baddi's wife alleged that the police arrested them without a valid reason.
One of the lawyers, who is defending the accused in the murder case, spoke to My Nation and claimed the arrested men were “falsely implicated”.
Karnataka High Court advocate Virendra S Ichalkaranjikar, who is also the president of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, said, "There is a hidden agenda behind these arrests. I have been an advocate to many Hindu organisations and many Hindus who are innocent. Many have been falsely implicated."
The SIT is now questioning the duo to ascertain their exact roles in the case. The SIT also said the two had allegedly provided logistic support and also played a key role in destroying evidence. Gauri was murdered outside her house in Bengaluru on September 5 last year.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.