The US Embassy here on Wednesday condemned the murder of senior Kannada journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.
“The U.S. Mission in India joins advocates of press freedom in India and world-wide in condemning the murder of respected journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru,” the Embassy said in a statement.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Ms. Lankesh,” it stated.
Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. She was editor of popular Kannada tabloid ‘Lankesh Patrike’.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday said a Special Investigation Team will probe the killing of Lankesh, even as protests erupted across the state condemning the murder.
The Union Home Ministry has also sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government on the incident.