SIT arrest another suspect in Gauri murder case

Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) who is probing into the murder case of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh made its 14th arrest in the case on Monday.

Former Shiv Sena councillor of Jalna Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra, Srikant Pangarkar, has been remanded into SIT custody.

Based on information provided by SIT, the Anti Terrorism Squad from Maharashtra recovered arms in Nalasopara and arrested Pangarkar for his alleged links to the case.

SIT had gathered information from Amol’s diary where in he was referred as ‘Praji’.

Amol, the suspected kingpin and one of the masterminds in the murder of Gauri, has also been arrested by the CBI in connection with the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.

A senior SIT official said the other accused in the Gauri case had told the police that Srikant Pangarkar had attended a few of their meetings in Maharashtra, and in Belagavi. The meetings had allegedly been held to plot her assassination. “His exact role in the execution of the conspiracy will be known only after his interrogation,” an official said.