Bengaluru: “The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Karnataka, which has been probing the murder of Kannada writer Kalburgi, has found evidence of a common link in the killing of the three rationalists. Prima facie , we have found similarities,” said State Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday.
Denying reports about the investigation by the CID being slow, Parameshwara said, “The CID is seriously conducting the probe and it has grilled suspected persons in this regard. We are expecting to arrest the culprits involved in the killing of Kalburgi.” he said.
The sources said that all the three rationalists were murdered by professional killers.
The CID teams that travelled to Kolhapur and Pune, hometowns of Dabholkar and Pansare, have been investigating whether the killing of Kalburgi is linked to the other two murders.
Earlier in the Parliament, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had told that as per available information, there is no report to suggest any link/connection between the murders of Pansare, Dabholkar and Kalburgi.
Rationalist MM Kalburgi was shot dead on the morning of August 30, 2015. In August 2013, Dabholkar, an anti-superstition activist, was shot dead in Pune. In February this year, social activist and veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare — who was leading a campaign against toll, among other issues — was shot dead in similar circumstances in Kolhapur.
In all the three cases, there were two men who struck in the morning, and used a bike to get away.
(Agencies)
