Two Maharashtra men who ordered Gauri killing on the SIT radar

TNN
August 14, 2018

Bengaluru, Aug 14: The Special Investigation Team probing the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh has closed in on two men who it believes masterminded the murder on September 5, 2017.

SIT sources said their personnel are lying in wait for the two masterminds at various locations in Maharashtra. The two men, along with a third person who later died of illness, allegedly issued orders to kill Gauri.

With 12 accused in custody and Nihal alias Dada, the 13th, elusive, SIT believes it’s about to wrap up the probe with these two arrests. “These three Maharashtra-based men issued orders to kill Gauri. The orders were given to Amol Kale, a Pune resident. Kale formed the core team which planned the murder with Sujit Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degvekar as deputies. The pistol used for the murder was supplied to Kale by the three masterminds,” an SIT source said.

‘Amol Kale was commander for K’taka region’

The source said Amol Kale was appointed commander for Karnataka region and assigned the task of saving Hindutva by killing those who spoke ill of the religion. “Kale gave directions to others, saying no one must use the real names. Whenever they wanted to discuss Gauri Lankesh, they were to use the code word ‘Amma’,” a source said.

Inputs from Maharashtra police revealed that the dead mastermind, Kaka, mentored Kale. “Kaka brainwashed Kale, saying there’s nothing wrong in killing a person to save Hindusim. Kaka died of an illness a few months ago. We’re looking for the other two,” an SIT source said.

A court in Bengaluru on Monday handed over Belagavi resident Bharath Kurne, 37, to 11 days’ police custody. The SIT arrested Kurne on August 5 from Belagavi after suspecting him to be a co-conspirator. Kurne allegedly sheltered Kale and his associates, including Sindagi youth Parashuram Waghmore, who pulled the trigger on Gauri, in his hotel.

Comments

Abdulla
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018

It is 100% terrorism if killed perover speaking against religion.

Sandesh shetty
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018

No involvement of top BJP, RSS leaders...! strange

Danish
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018

Why SIT, CID not probing proper on Pansare, Dabholkar, Kalburgi cases

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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