Published Oct 20, 2024 | 12:37 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 21, 2024 | 12:14 AM
Gaurl Lankesh (29 January 1962 – 5 September 2017).
An accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, Shrikant Pangarkar, joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Jalna ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.
Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Karnataka capital Bengaluru on 5 September, 2017. A probe by police in Karnataka with assistance from agencies in Maharashtra led to the arrest of several persons.
However, after widespread criticism, Eknath Shinde cancelled his appointment. Shinde, who also serves as the party’s leader, issued an order declaring all district-level appointments of Pangarkar in Jalna as “null and void“.
Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, former Shiv Sainik Pangarkar rejoined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday. The announcement was made in the presence of senior party leader and former state minister, Arjun Khotkar.
Pangarkar, a Jalna municipal councillor of the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006, was arrested in August 2018 and was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on 4 September this year.
After he was denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011, Pangarkar joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.
He joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday, 18 October, in the presence of party leader and former state minister Arjun Khotkar.
“Pangarkar is a former Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been nominated as the chief of the Jalna Assembly poll campaign,” Khotkar said, reported PTI.
Khotkar also said he wants to contest the Assembly poll from Jalna, but added that seat sharing discussions in the Mahayuti (ruling alliance comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP) were still underway.
The seat is held by Congress’ Kailash Gorantyal. Maharashtra Assembly polls will be held on 20 November, and the results will be declared on 23 November.
Gauri Lankesh was shot at her house in West Bengaluru by two bike-borne men on 5 September, 2017, allegedly from the same gang that killed litterateur MM Kalburgi two years earlier at his residence in the Dharwad district.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case submitted its final and additional charge sheet of 9,235 pages in November 2018, and the prosecution had around 450 witnesses to be examined, along with evidence that needed to be produced before the court.
As all 17 accused have been also booked under the stringent KCOCA, they were all regularly denied bail.
The prime accused in the Gauri murder case were Amol Kale (touted as the mastermind, who identified Gauri as a target and coordinated the murder) and Parashuram Waghmore (who shot at Gauri).
The other accused were Amit Baddi, Suresh Kumar, Ganesh Miskin, Rajesh Bangera, Amit Degwekar, Mohan Nayak, KT Naveen Kumar (the first to be arrested in the case), Sujeeth Kumar, Manohar Edave, Bharath Kurne, Sharad Kalaskar, Shrikanth Pangarkar, Sudhanva Gondalekar, Rishikesh Dewerkar, and Vasudev Suryavamshi.
The SIT, in its charge sheet, named the right-wing radical organisation Sanatan Sanstha as a link between the accused. During the investigation.
The SIT was also apparently able to crack the murder case of scholar MM Kalburgi and uncover a sinister plan to eliminate other vocal writers like KS Bhagawan.
(Compiled by Muhammed Fazil)
