'Regretted killing Gauri after seeing her immense popularity': Waghmare

Bengaluru: Parashuram Waghmare who was captured by the SIT officials for the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh had failed twice in his endeavors to murder her before the day he shot the journalist. 

Waghmare who came to Bengaluru 8 days before Gauri was killed had recognized the journalist on YouTube. Before carrying out the crime, he had viewed a few recordings of her speeches on YouTube, sources said. 

After going to the city with an outsider, Waghmare had attempted to kill Guari thrice in seven days. Twice his murder endeavors failed and he succeeded in his third attempt. After shooting Gauri, the more bizarre who was with Waghmare took the pistol back and let him not to contact him in future. The outsider stated, “Forget me and you will get your reward.” Waghmare uncovered these subtle elements to the SIT during questioning. 

Waghmare amid questioning supposedly said that he regretted killing Gauri. “I didn’t know who Gauri Lankesh was. In July 2017, one individual met me in Vijayapura. He told me that he knew that I was a Hindu activist and needed me to complete a very important work.” 

Waghmare additionally revealed to SIT sleuths, “That individual requesting that I watch videos on YouTube and Facebook of Gauri Lankesh. The second time when I met him, I consented to kill Gauri. But, seeing a large number of people across the nation shedding tears for Gauri I regretted killing her and felt that I should not have killed her.” 

SIT sleuths additionally said that Waghmare had uncovered amid questioning that he was trained in Belagavi to deal with the weapon. “The pistol was given by those outsiders and they trained me,” he revealed to SIT officials. 

The SIT sleuths have not yet discovered three other accused who helped Waghmare to kill Gauri. They have questioned Sujith Kumar lias Praveen, Amol Kale alias Bhaisaab, Amit Degwekar alias Pradeep, and Manohar Dundappa Yadave alias Manoj who was arrested before.

To prove the murder allegations, the weapon and the bike will be the primary evidence in the court. The SIT group can’t depend on the statements of the accused and  if they take a u-turn in the court, it may impede the probe. Thus SIT authorities are trying to gather the evidence. 

The SIT officials said that more than 60 individuals in Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka are working right-wing outfits who examine about eliminating their targets covertly.