Boost for probe team, forensic lab ‘confirms’ role of main accused

BENGALURU: The Special Investigation Team probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case got a major breakthrough with a Gujarat-based forensic lab confirming Parashuram Waghmare shot and killed her on September 5 last year.

SIT sources said the entire sequence of events was reconstructed and a video of it along with CCTV footage on the day of incident sent to the Directorate of Forensic Science, which confirmed that the man in both the visuals was the same.

“The FSL lab confirmed that the person who appeared in both visuals was the same. It establishes our line of investigation,” said the SIT officer, requesting anonymity.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Bengaluru on September 5 2017.

The SIT said it intensified its hunt for some more people who it believes were either part of the Lankesh murder case directly or indirectly. It has so far arrested 12 people.

“They have absconded after the Maharashtra ATS launched a manhunt for them. They are all from Maharashtra and Goa,” the officer said.

The team has also identified at least 50 people in Karnataka who were part of this unnamed gang. They have also identified an equal number of activists in Maharashtra too.

“The group has a vast size and network and is active across India. We have identified many of them and have shared the names of people involved in such crimes with our higher ups. It is up to them take action,” he said.

Also in focus is the role of the right-wing Sanatan Sanstha that is accused of having links with people arrested in connection with the killings of rationalists.