Murder of Indian journalist triggers outrage and accusations of politically motivated assassination
The 55-year-old was shot dead by three unknown gunmen on a motorcycle as she entered her home in the city of Bangalore on Tuesday
Indian activists, politicians and journalists demanded a full investigation on Wednesday into the murder of Gauri Lankesh, a newspaper editor and outspoken critic of the ruling Hindu nationalist party whose death has sent shock waves through the industry.
The 55-year-old, who was shot dead by three unknown gunmen on a motorcycle as she entered her home in the southern city of Bangalore in Karnataka state on Tuesday, was a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing government.
Police found Lankesh dead on her front porch with bullet wounds to her head and chest. The killers fled and no arrests have yet been made.
The Editors Guild of India said her death was “an ominous portent for dissent in democracy and a brutal assault on the freedom of the press”, calling for a swift and thorough investigation.
India has a historically poor record on journalists’ safety, although most deaths occur in remote rural areas away from the major urban centres. But critics of Modi’s government claim dissent is being stifled as nationalist sentiment grows in the world’s largest democracy.
In April, Reporters Without Borders ranked India 136th of 180 countries in its world press freedom ratings, blaming “Hindu nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of ‘anti-national’ thought from the national debate”. The press freedom group said 25 journalists have died in India since 2010.