The family of Gauri Lankesh, journalist, who was shot dead outside her residence on Tuesday, came together on Thursday to demand a time-bound probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), failing which they would want the task be handed over to other investigation agencies.
Indrajit Lankesh and Kavitha Lankesh, Gauri’s siblings, clarified that the family did not lack faith in SIT but wanted justice within a reasonable time. Spiking speculation that there were differences of opinion between them, they said they had decided to fix a maximum of two weeks for SIT to come out with “some result.”
“Failure on the part of SIT to do so may force us to look for other alternatives,” said Ms. Kavitha Lankesh, without specifying whether they were in favour of a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation or any other agency.
Mr. Indrajit Lankesh said, “For now the family wants justice for the murder of our sister. Our intention is that no other rationalist-journalist-writer should face the kind of consequences she did for registering their dissent.”
When asked about his earlier demand for a CBI probe, Mr. Indrajit Lankesh said, “My mother appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure justice for the sacrifice of Gauri, following which he constituted SIT. Let us see what happens in the SIT probe. The question is not about investigating agency, it is about getting justice for the heinous murder of a writer, journalist and activist, who is incidentally my sister Gauri,” he asserted.
Ms. Kavitha Lankesh said, “For now we don’t want CBI probe. SIT has started investigation just now. We are all happy with the way sleuths are approaching the murder of Gauri.”
In response to repeated questions on whether the family goes by the speculation doing the rounds in some circles that Gauri had been killed by Maoists, Mr. Indrajit Lankesh argued that initially fingers were being pointed at right-wing forces. Later, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy himself had refused to rule out the possibility of extreme Left’s role. It was under these circumstances that he had appealed to the investigating agency “to probe every angle,” he clarified.
Ms. Kavitha Lankesh added, “I think Gauri was killed by those who opposed her ideological stands such as rationalism and anti-communalism. She had no personal enemies. In my opinion, she had only ideological enemies. I don’t think she was against Maoist movement. In fact, she was helping the cadre to join mainstream democratic movements against injustice. If it is proved in the probe that Maoists are involved in her murder, I will feel a sense of shame that she helped them.”
Mr. Indrajit Lankesh said, “I would like to clarify that I do not have any political affiliations. I am not with the BJP. My father has taught me to be in the opposition as a journalist. That’s what I’m trying to do.”