Same Gun Used to Kill Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalburgi, says Forensics

Forensic reports have stated today that the same 7.65-mm countrymade pistol was used for the murders of both Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalburgi. The ballistic signature on the bullets and cartridges used in Lankesh’s murder have been found to match the signature on the bullets and cartridges used in Kalburgi’s assassination.

Indian Express reported that an investigation official has said that a common outfit or group might be behind the two killings.

The murder of Kalburgi had been further linked to the murders of the two other rationalists, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar. Similarities were drawn between the three murders which have now been extended to Lankesh’s murder as well. In all four cases, similar methods were employed for committing the murder.

The investigation in the Dabholkar and Pansare cases by the CBI and Maharashtra SIT had suggested the involvement of Sanatan Sanstha, a right-wing outfit which is known to propagate use of violence against critics of Hindu religion and tradition. Sameer Gaikwad and Virendra Tawde were arrested in connection to the murders of Pansare and Dabholkar respectively, and both were previously members of the Sanatan Sanstha. Gaikwad was granted conditional bail by a sessions court in Mumbai in June this year. Rudra Patil, a suspect in the Kalburgi murder case, has been on the run since his name cropped up in connection with blasts in Goa. He is also an alleged member of the Sanstha, and a childhood friend of Gaikwad.

Megha Pansare told NewsClick that it is of utmost importance to nab these killers, as otherwise a lot of lives are at risk. “The involvement of the Sanstha was not taken seriously after Dabholkar ji’s murder. The CBI is conducting the investigation, but what is it doing? Why can’t they capture these suspects? This has become a very serious matter. It seems this group has made a list of all such rationalists and left activists, and is targeting all of them one by one. It is very important to nab these killers, otherwise a lot of lives are at risk”, she said. She also blamed the negligence of both Maharashtra and Karnataka governments as being responsible for the inaction against the murderers.

Abhay Vartak, a spokesperson of the Sanatan Sanstha, has previously hinted that the Sanstha has connections with RSS. “The spread of activities of the RSS has been phenomenal; however, they lack spiritual base. Sanatan Sanstha is trying to provide the missing link. End of the day, RSS and Sanatan Sanstha are organisations that are closely associated with Hindutva; needless to say that there could be some common threads”, Vartak told in an email to Caravan last year.

The Sanatan Sanstha has vehemently defended their members who were arrested on suspicions of their involvement in the different murder cases, and repeatedly claimed their innocence. Apart from them, members of Maharashtra’s administration too have made statements defending the Sanstha, and calling its critics Hindu-haters.