Sanatan Sanstha man held in arms case under lens for Gauri Lankesh murder

Shiv Kumar

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Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 26

The Special Investigation Team of the Karnataka Police, which is probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, is looking closely at Sudhanwa Gondhalekar, an activist of the Sanatan Sanstha, who was detained by the Anti-Terror Squad of the Maharashtra Police earlier this month.

According to sources here, officials from the SIT who arrived on Saturday have sought details about Gondhalekar, 39, since he bears resemblance to one of the men who were captured on footage from CCTV cameras installed at Lankesh’s residence days before her murder.

Lankesh, who had been writing relentlessly against Hindutva forces, was shot dead in front of her house on September 5 last year.

Police sources here said SIT officials from Karnataka would be allowed to interrogate those arrested by the ATS from different parts of Maharashtra.

Officials did not say whether the interrogation of those in their custody have already commenced.

According to officials here, Gondhalekar was running a technology company catering to the requirements of architects and builders.

He had been arrested in Pune. However his company, CAD Point, had offices in Satara. Police say he has travelled to Bengaluru in the past ostensibly on business.

Gondhalekar was among five people arrested after country-made weapons and explosives were recovered from the home and office of a gau rakshak named Vaibhav Raut from Nala Sopara near Mumbai.