Former Shiv Sena councillor arrested in Gauri Lankesh murder case

coastaldigest.com news network
September 18, 2018

Bengaluru, Sept 18: Srikant Pangarkar, a former Shiv Sena councillor of Jalna Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra, has become the 14th accused arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of journactivist Gauri Lankesh.

Investigators also suspect that Srikant was in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017, the day Gauri Lankesh was assassinated. He has been remanded into SIT custody till September 28.

In August, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad — acting on intelligence provided by the SIT — had recovered a cache of arms in Nalasopara and arrested Pangarkar for his alleged links to the case. According to SIT sources, he was identified based on information from Amol Kale's diary in which he was referred to as ‘Praji’.

Kale, the suspected kingpin and one of the masterminds in the murder of Gauri, has also been arrested by the CBI in connection with the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.

A senior SIT official said the other accused in the Gauri case had told the police that Srikant Pangarkar had attended a few of their meetings in Maharashtra, and in Belagavi. The meetings had allegedly been held to plot her assassination. “His exact role in the execution of the conspiracy will be known only after his interrogation,” an official said.

Amol Kale was constantly in touch with Srikant in the months before and after September 5, 2017 when Gauri was shot. “From July 2017 to May 2018, Amol Kale's Call Detail Record (CDR) shows the two had over 1,200 calls in a span of 10 months. That amounts to four calls per day on an average, indicating how involved Srikant was in the conspiracy,” an official said.

Investigations till now have revealed that Srikant, who held the post of councillor between 2001 and 2011, quit the Shiv Sena in 2011. He was one of the founding members of the unnamed organisation that allegedly planned and carried out hits on four rationalists and critics of hardline Hindutva. The Maharashtra ATS and CBI have told courts in Maharashtra that they suspect he was the main funder and the person who organised arms and ammunition for the gang.

According to the SIT probe, Srikant’s CDR showed that he often visited Sendhwa, a town in Madhya Pradesh near the Maharashtra border, a hub for country-made pistols.

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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News Network
May 11,2024

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Madikeri, May 11: Kodagu police have apprehended the man allegedly responsible for the brutal murder of a minor girl within the confines of Kumbaragadige village in Karnataka's Somwarpet taluk. 

Kodagu Superintendent of Police, K Ramarajan, disclosed that the arrested individual is Prakash (32) from Hammiyala village in Somwarpet taluk. However, authorities are still in the process of recovering the severed head of the victim. The perpetrator had absconded with the victim's severed head after committing the crime. 

Search operations for the suspect commenced late on Thursday night (May 9), with officials diligently pursuing leads. Acting on information suggesting the suspect's presence in a forested area near the village, the police swiftly moved in and apprehended him.

The victim US Meena, 15, a student of Surlabbi High School, had passed the SSLC examinations, the results of which were announced on May. One same day, she was murdered. 

Reportedly, the engagement of the minor girl with the suspect was thwarted by officials from the Women and Child Development department. Subsequently, officials persuaded the girl's parents against proceeding with the marriage. 

However, despite these interventions, the suspect forcibly entered her residence during the night, purportedly abducted her, and later perpetrated the heinous crime in a wooded area on the outskirts of the forest, before absconding with her severed head.

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News Network
May 12,2024

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Mangaluru: A native of Kerala was arrested on charge of misbehaving with crew on an Air India Express flight while travelling from Dubai to Mangaluru International Airport. The man even threatened to jump from the aircraft, according to officials. 

Siddartha Das, the security coordinator for Air India Express, lodged a complaint against the passenger, identified as Muhammad BC from Kannur, Kerala, after which he was caught by the airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru. He was later handed over to the police.

DCP (Law and Order) Sidharth Goyal said the incident occurred on Flight IX814 on May 8.

When the flight was above the sea, Muhammad reportedly said he wanted to get off the plane, posing a threat to all on board. The unruly flyer was detained by airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru International Airport and he was handed over to Bajpe police station officials.

Sources added once the flight took off from Dubai, the accused went to the lavatory and thereafter started inquiring with the cabin crew about a person named Krishna who was not on the flight. Muhammad kept on pressing the bell for in-flight assistance, even though the cabin crew members were near at hand. He then picked up a life jacket, gave it to a crew member, and said he wanted to use it upon landing.

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