SIT searches border region for source of gun that killed Gauri Lankesh

The gun used to kill Gauri Lankesh is similar to those used by the notorious killers of the Bheema river bank The SIT is searching for the source of the gun across all jails in the State Yusuf Bachcha Khan, a member of Dawood Ibrahim’s 'D' Company, associates of Rasheed Malabari questioned The SIT has enquired the construction workers near Gauri Lankesh’s house, but in vain

The gun that was used to kill journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh was the kind of weapon used by the notorious killers of Bheema river bank on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, suspect the investigating officers. The SIT is now searching for the origin of the gun at the Krishna River valley and in the jails across the State, reports Kannada Prabha.

The police are searching for the supply of the local pistol (7.65 mm) used to kill Gauri Lankesh, at the border regions of State and Maharashtra where it is mostly found. One team is making enquiries with all the inmates of the jails at the State, said sources. Officials have interrogated Yusuf Bachcha Khan a member of Dawood Ibrahim’s D Company, associates of Rasheed Malabari and three under-trails at Vijayapura Central jail. Another team has gone to Mysuru, Dharawad, Bellari and Kalburgi Central jails to enquire about the inmates suspected to be dealing with arms.

The country pistol network is extensive in the border area of Vijayapura, Indi, Ilkal, Afzalpura, Aland, Nippani on the State side and Sollapur, Kollhapur, Sangli, Ichalakaranji and Marathavada on the Maharashtra side. The 7.65 mm pistols were used by Chandappa Harijan, Bagappa Harijan and gang infamous on the banks of Bheema river. The traditional machete knife wielding Bengaluru rowdies were introduced to the 7.65 mm pistols by the Krishna valley, say officials.

Apart from Maharashtra, the other states that supply illegal arms to Karnataka are Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The SIT is also contacting their counterparts in these states. To find out if the pistol was supplied by the Krishna Valley dealers, the officials are making inquiries. The SIT has also made enquiries with the construction workers near Gauri Lankesh’s residence in RR Nagar. The labourers have fled from work after the police enquiry, reports Kannada Prabha. The police questioned the building owner but nothing significant was found.