Gauri Lankesh was identified as "Durjan" by crime syndicate that plotted her murder: SIT
Bengaluru, Nov 26: Late journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh was identified as 'Durjan' (evil person) by the crime syndicate that plotted her murder, the Special Investigation Team probing the case has said, adding artificial intelligence systems were used to verify identity of suspected people in the killing.
Inspired by the Goa-based right wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha literature, the syndicate, comprising 18 people, named Lankesh as "Durjan" in August 2016 and started hatching a conspiracy to kill her, the SIT said.
The 55-year-old Lankesh, known for her left-leanings and strident anti-Hindutva views, was shot dead in front of her house here on September 5 last year, triggering national outrage and widespread condemnation.
The SIT said artificial Intelligence systems were used to extract images of suspected people and vehicles to compare with the footage obtained from 200 terabytes of video data from the CCTV cameras installed at major roads and junctions by the Bengaluru City Police.
The SIT said it interviewed and examined more than 2500 people and also traced 10,000 suspected two-wheelers and interviewed their owners.
Experts also analysed lakhs of cell phone tower dumps and mobile phone numbers, it said.
The SIT had filed the first charge sheet in May and the additional one on Friday last.
In August 2016, at a meeting of the Syndicate, the main members identified Lankesh as a "Durjan" "as told in the Kshatra Dharma Sadhana based on her speeches and writings," the SIT said.
They jointly hatched a conspiracy to murder Lankesh in furtherance of the achievement of their goal and executed it in several parts, the SIT said detailing the progress of investigation after filing the additional charge sheet.
Two months after the gang zeroed in on Lankesh, its member Vasudev Suryavamshi alias Mechanic and Sujith Kumar stole a bike and gave it to the alleged mastermind Amol Kale, it said.
Further, Dada alias Nihal, who is at large, assigned H L Suresh to find the address of Lankesh, it said, adding, Amit Baddi and Ganesh Miskin carried out the recce on her.
A fortnight before the killing, syndicate members Parashuram Waghmare and Ganesh Miskin carried out shooting practice in a hilly region near Kiniye in Belagavi, according to the SIT.
The team said Bharat Kurne took Ganesh Miskin, Parshuram Waghmare and Sharad Kalaskar to Kiniye.
Sharad Kalaskar trained Waghmare and Miskin how to shoot using country made pistols.
The shooting practice was last of the final preparations and planning, the SIT said.
According to the investigation team, the first attempt to kill Lankesh was made on September 4 but it did not materialise.
The next day, Ganesh Miskin rode the bike while Waghmare was the pillion rider.
They parked their bike near Lankesh's house and waited for 10 minutes.
Soon after Lankesh came home, Waghmare fired four bullets, killing her instantaneously, the SIT said.
While 16 members have been arrested, two are still at large.
They have been identified as Vikas Patil alias Dada and Rushikesh Deodikar alias Murali, the SIT said.
During the probe, the SIT said, various line of investigations were taken up probing the angle of personal enmity, involvement of left-wing extremism, profession related and right wing extremism.
However, "The first breakthrough in the case happened when the material objects recovered from the scene of crime were analysed at the State Forensic Science Laboratory here.
The forensic ballistic analysis established that the pistol used to murder Lankesh was the same pistol used to murder MM Kalburgi at Dharwad in Karnataka and Govind Pansare at Kolhapur in Maharashtra (all rationalists), the SIT said.
Footage of several CCTV systems within a radius of five km of Lankesh's house were collected and examined minutely for further clues. This included footage of four CCTV cameras installed at Lankesh's house.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
