Maharashtra’s Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Sunday condemned the recent killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and said that such acts sound the death knell for independent thinking.
Ahead of a talk at Rotary Club here, he told reporters that the trend of murders of independent thinkers such as Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh raises a serious threat of scuttling free thought in India’s democratic set-up.
He spoke against media trial and said constant pressure by the media on investigating agencies leads to the police erring in probes or even arresting innocent persons and slapping cases against them. “I have seen it happen several times,” Mr. Nikam said.
‘Arrests soon’
Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said those who murdered Gauri Lankesh and scholar M.M. Kalburgi will be arrested shortly.
Speaking to reporters in Tumakuru on Sunday, he said that the SIT chief had spoken to him on Friday and the investigation was going in the right direction.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T. B. Jayachandra said nobody should unnecessarily comment on the references made by the Supreme court over the Cauvery issue.
He said: “We have 15 days’ time to submit written argument before the Supreme Court and we will put all arguments and the State’s stand on the Cauvery issue in black and white.”
He expressed confidence that the court verdict will come in favour of Karnataka.