Karnataka minister says SIT has vital clues about Gauri Lankesh killers: report
04 Oct 2017
A few days after the special investigation team looking into the Gauri Lankesh murder case said it had managed to get its hands on the facial profile of the attacker, reports now say that the SIT in fact has identified the killer, but cannot yet reveal the identity.
Reports quoting Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy said the SIT had got vital clues on the attacker, but the information could not be made public yet.
"We have got clues, but we cannot tell things to the media for now because we should have correct evidence for the clues we have got," Outlook India quoted Reddy as saying.
"If there are no proper evidence when we file a charge sheet at the court, it won't stand. So we are trying to collect the evidence correctly... Our SIT is working towards gathering evidence."
Reddy had earlier, on 9 September, also said that the SIT had important information regarding the murder of the senior journalist.
The Karnataka government had also announced a reward of Rs10 lakh to anyone who would provide clues to the killing.
Lankesh's murder ignited quite a debate in the country with some blaming the Naxalites for the attacks and other's claiming that the right-wing was behind the deed.
The SIT had earlier said that it had gotten the facial profile of the attacker with the help of the CCTV footage and the description given by the eyewitnesses and the clues are credible enough to help the cops look for the attacker. A massive hunt had then been launched according to India Today.
The footage allegedly shows a middle-aged man most likely between the age of 34 and 38 with a lean frame riding a Bajaj Pulsar on which the attackers had fled after shooting the scribe.
He was reportedly dressed in a formal full sleeves shirt and allegedly wore a band on his right wrist. The website also saw an identity card on him.
He, however, was wearing a helmet, but the police could figure out his profile because it did not have a visor, claims the website.