Sketches of Lankesh ‘killers’ out; 200 witnesses quizzed

Bengaluru, October 14 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the killing of Gauri Lankesh today released the sketches of two suspects, aged between 25 and 30, and the footage obtained from CCTV cameras installed near the slain journalist’s house. Lankesh was gunned down by unidentified assailants in front of her residence here on September 5. The 21-member SIT released the sketches, prepared on the basis of information collected from witnesses, and the CCTV footage more than five weeks after she was killed. “There are only two suspects, but we have released three sketches, based on the accounts of two witnesses… We have released two sketches of one of the suspects because they were drawn by two professional painters,” SIT chief BK Singh told the media here. He said his team had questioned 200-250 persons and that the assailants had used a 7.65 mm country-made pistol to gun down the veteran journalist. “We have ruled out professional rivalry behind Lankesh’s killing. But all other angles (including Naxal and personal) are being probed,” he said.To a query, the SIT chief said the investigators had collected certain clues from the video footage obtained from Lankesh’s house.