Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead in Bengaluru in September last year (File)
Karnataka Police on Tuesday arrested another suspect in connection with the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh but denied speculation about him being the assassin.
26-year-old Parashuram Waghmare was held from Sindhagi in Vijaypura district and produced before the 3rd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court in Bengaluru, said the police. Waghmare was remanded to SIT custody for 14 days for further interrogation, an official release said.
This was the sixth arrest in the case. Lankesh, who was shot dead in front of her house here on September 5 last year, was known for her strong views against hardline Hindutva.
However, Inspector General of Police B K Singh, who heads the SIT, said that nothing has emerged during the probe so far to suggest that Waghmare had shot Lankesh. “No. That thing has not come in our investigation,” he said amid speculation in the media that Waghmare could be the assassin.
“His role in the conspiracy and other details will be revealed later as it would affect the investigation at this stage,” the SIT release said.
Waghmare was believed to have links to right wing groups.
Earlier, the SIT had arrested five people– K T Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja, Amol Kale, Manohar Edve, Sujeeth Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degvekar.
Naveen Kumar is from Maddur in Mandya district of Karnataka, while Kale and Degvekar are from Maharashtra. Edve and Sujeeth Kumar are also from Karnataka. Naveen, who had founded the Hindu Yuva Sena, was the first to be caught in Bengaluru while attempting to sell ammunition.