Gauri Lankesh
The special investigation team (SIT), which is probing the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, has blamed Sanatan Sanstha in the case and said the planning took place for almost five years.
In an additional 9,235-page chargesheet filed before a city court, the SIT stated that a network within Sanatan Sanstha targeted Lankesh for no personal reasons.
In conversation to PTI, Special Public Prosecutor S Balan said: "The killer and the killed have no personal or any other enmity. Why she was killed? Because she believed in certain ideology, she wrote and spoke on that. So, it must be an ideology and it must be an organisation."
The SIT has also sought permission to investigate the case further.
The first charge sheet in the sensational case was filed in May last.
Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning and strong anti-Hindutva views was shot dead in front of her house here on September 5 last year, triggering a nationwide outrage.
Soon after the then Siddaramaiah-led government constituted the SIT to probe into the killing.
So far, 18 people have been accused in the crime, including shooter Parashuram Waghmare, masterminds Amol Kale, Sujith Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degwekar, SIT sources told PTI.
The gang is suspected to be involved in the killing of three other rationalists M M Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare.
(With PTI inputs)
