The Asian Age

Lankesh murder: Fingerprin­ts on trunk led to bizman arrest

- BALA CHAUHAN

He did everything possible to cover up the trail of blood but his fingerprin­ts on a trunk that he had locked in a hurry after hiding the killer contraband 7.65mm pistol, gave the game away.

Sudhanva Gondhaleka­r, a 39- year- old techie and businessma­n from Karanji Peth in Satara district, who was recently arrested along with Vaibhav Raut and Sharad Kasalkar in an arms haul case in Maharashtr­a by the Anti- Terrorism Squad ( ATS), is reportedly involved in the Gauri Lankesh murder.

According to sources, he had allegedly assisted in concealing the murder weapon — the 7.65mm country- made pistol, which was used to kill Gauri. He had come to Bengaluru

from Satara after Gauri’s murder and had taken back the pistol from Amol Kale — his alleged friend from Pune and an accused in the Gauri murder case and had kept the firearm inside a trunk, which he had locked and left in the custody of Suresh, the man who had rented out his house in Seegehalli to the accused. Suresh has also been arrested in the case.

Gondhaleka­r’s fingerprin­ts on the trunk have reportedly given him away. “He will soon be questioned by the Karnataka Special Investigat­ion Team in Mumbai and if need be, he will be brought to Bengaluru on transit remand,” said a source on condition of anonymity.

What happened thereafter to the killer 7.65mm pistol remains a mystery. It has not been found till date.

Sudhanva Gondhaleka­r, a 39- yearold techie and businessma­n from Karanji Peth in Satara district had allegedly assisted in concealing the murder weapon

 ??  ?? Gauri Lankesh
Gauri Lankesh

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