SIT has definite leads: Home minister

home minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Tuesday that the special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the murder of senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh has “very definite leads” in the case.

Lankesh, known to be an antiestablishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was gunned down outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar area in Bengaluru on September 5.

“However, they are in the process of putting the evidence together, which is why we cannot reveal much at this stage,” Reddy told HT.

Reddy, on September 9, said the SIT had hit upon a vital clue that would help them solve the case and expressed hopes about nabbing the culprits soon.

However, sources in the investigation team did not confirm this. “We are still following some leads and are hopeful of cracking the case soon,” a senior member of the SIT said.

The official said the SIT was sifting through information gathered over the past month.

“So far, we have questioned in excess of 500 people and we have got call records from about 60 mobile phone towers in a 5km radius, apart from CCTV footage from cameras in the area...” the officer said.

While a forensic laboratory had said a 7.65 mm gun was used to kill Lankesh, similar to those used in the murders of MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, the result of the comparison of bullets fired at Kalburgi and Lankesh is yet to come.

The Karnataka government, which constituted the SIT headed by inspector general of police (intelligence) BK Singh, has announced a reward of ₹10 lakh to anyone who can provide clues.

BENGALURU:Karnataka