Gauri Lakesh murder: SIT takes 37-yr-old man into custody for questioning

A Special Investigation Team probing the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh (55), on Friday took into custody a man for interrogation in connection with the sensastional killing last year.

K T Naveen Kumar, 37, who was detained on February 18 by the Bengaluru police for illegal possession of bullets, has been named as the first accused in the case.

The police had arrested KT Naveen Kumar, a resident of Maddur in Mandya district, from Bengaluru. Kumar, who is believed to have links with the Hindu Yuva Sena, a Hindutva group, had talked to his friends about his links to the case, the police said.

Police suspect Kumar may have taken the killer to the journalist's house in the city's RR Nagar locality on the day of the murder.

Over 15 rounds of cartridges of .32 calibre, which are the same as the 7.65 mm cartridges, were seized from his possession.

Gauri was shot dead with a 7.65 mm country-made pistol by unidentified men in the drive way of her residence.

CCTV footage showed that the man, who was wearing a helmet, had conducted a recce of the house hours before the crime. The physique of the man is in close resemblance to that of Kumar, according to officials.

Gauri was killed after unidentified men shot at her from close range, outside her residence in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, late on 5 September.

OneIndia News