Through an overcast Wednesday, with intermittent rain, thousands queued up to pay their last respects to slain journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.
The body of the 55-year-old, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Tuesday , was kept for public viewing on the famous Ravindra Kalakshetra campus — the cultural heart of Bengaluru — for over three hours.
The venue was just metres from the steps to the City’s famous Town Hall where she had led and participated in several protests, including many against the killing of rationalist writer M.M. Kalburgi in 2015.
On Wednesday, those steps were filled with hundreds of journalists and activists, who gathered in protest with placards reading “I am Gauri”, and angry chants alleging that she was a victim of “communal forces targeting rationalists and progressive forces.”
Later, the body was buried with state honours, but without any religious rituals, keeping the activist’s strong beliefs alive.
Helmeted shooter
Meanwhile, investigations into the footage from the CCTV installed at her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, west Bengaluru, show a man, clad in a jacket and wearing a helmet, shooting at her four times from close range, said Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy. The footage did not show the registration number of the vehicle used by the assailants.
BJP seeks CBI probe into Gauri Lankesh murder
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team, led by B.K. Singh, Inspector-General of Police, and M.N. Anucheth, DCP West.
