Unknown assailants on Tuesday night gunned down senior journalist Gauri Lankesh just when she was about to enter her house in Bengalore
According to reports, assailants arrived in her house fired several rounds of bullets from point blank range and killed her.
55-year-old Gauri had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said.
She died instantaneously. Four bullets hit the compound wall of her building in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, the officials said.
Gauri edited Kannada tabloid ‘Gauri Lankesh Patrike’ besides owning some other publications, and was known for her forthright views against hardline Hindutva politics.
Her death sent shock waves across India with journalists and members of civil society reacting with horror to the news of Lankesh’s gruesome murder.
Journalists in Delhi have decided to hold a protest protest meet at the Press Club on Wednesday morning at 11 AM. There was a candle light march in Bangalore on Tuesday night minutes after the news of Lankesh’s murder hit media headlines.
It’s ironic that two years ago when M Kalburgi was murdered in a similar fashion, Lankesh was one of many journalists who had joined other civil society members in a protest march in Bangalore. (See the photo below)
Here’s how members of media fraternity and civil society members reacted.
Journalism is nothing without courage. Democracy is nothing without dissent. You had plenty of both #GauriLankesh You live on as inspiration
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) September 5, 2017
Pansare, Kalburgi, Dabholkar, Lankesh, who is next? What is going on? Why haven't the guilty been caught in previous cases? #GauriLankesh
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) September 5, 2017
In India we bow to frauds like Ram Rahim and kill men and women of reason & inquiry like Pansare, Dabholkar, Kalburgi & now #gaurilankesh
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) September 5, 2017
So shocking. She had tweeted this piece 6 hours ago. This is just so disturbing. None of us against Hindutva are safe now. #GauriLankesh RIP https://t.co/LvGsbhtejB
— Sadhavi Khosla?? (@sadhavi) September 5, 2017
When "intellectual" becomes an abuse, words are replied with bullets.
RIP #GauriLankesh.
— Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) September 5, 2017
Killing of #GauriLankesh is not only tragic but terribly scary as well. Mere dissent or disagreement as a brave journalist cost her life.
— S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) September 5, 2017
How many Godi channels will call the assassination of #gaurilankesh by its right name – terrorism?
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/autumnrainwish/status/905105968886718464