Gauri Lankesh murder: 37-year-old taken into custody by SIT for questioning

A 37-year-old man arrested under the Arms Act for illegal possession of ammunition is being questioned in connection with the murder of Kannada tabloid Editor Gauri Lankesh in the city nearly six months ago, police said on Friday.

"K.T. Naveen Kumar was taken into custody by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police," SIT Investigating Officer M.N. Anucheth told IANS here.

Kumar, who hails from Birur town in Chikmagalur district, about 250km west from here, was booked by the city police on February 19 under the Arms Act for illegal possession of 15 bullets of a revolver, Anucheth said.

The man had been remanded in Crime Branch custody, which ended on Friday.

"Based on certain clues provided by him, the SIT took him into custody for further questioning and investigation," he said.

Lankesh, 55, the Editor of "Lankesh Patrike", was shot dead outside her residence in the city's southwestern suburb by unidentified assailants on September 5 last year by unidentified men. Of the seven bullets fired, three hit Lankesh -- two in the chest and one in the forehead.

The state government had set up the SIT to probe the journalist-activist's killing.