Gauri Lankesh's siblings spar over "financial irregularities"

Slain journalist Gauri Lankesh's brother on Tuesday demanded that the Karnataka government order a probe into alleged financial irregularites in a trust named after the scribe who was shot dead two years ago.

With media reports alleging that donations of Rs 7 crore collected by the trust were misused, the late journalist's brother Indrajeet Lankesh claimed that he did not know who authorised the trust members to collect money from people on his sister's behalf.

Refuting Indrajeet's allegations, his sister Kavitha, a member of the trust, said the trust with prominent personalities was struggling to get even Rs 1 lakh, let alone Rs 7 crore.

At a press conference, Indrajit said there were reports that some people have formed a trust in the name of his late sister and they have been collecting money.

"...There has to be an investigation why they are collecting money.

My father (P Lankesh) had never received any donation in his life. My father and my sister (Gauri) were against it," Indrajit told reporters.

Dismissing the charges, Kavitha Lankesh said "We (trust members) are struggling to get even Rs one lakh. With great difficulty we have been conducting programmes to keep my sister's name alive.

She, however, agreed to the demand for an investigation into the Trust's financial management.

"If somebody wants to get it investigated then we are open to it. Let them investigate it," Kavitha said.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in front of her house here on September 5, 2017 and the Special Investigation Team, constituted to probe the matter, has arrested 16 people for their alleged involvement in the killing.

Some of the people arrested in the case are allegedly linked to some right wing outfits.