Gauri Lankesh murder accused removed from Shinde Sena day after joining

Shrikant Pangarkar, who is currently out on bail, is an accused in the high-profile murder case of journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017.

In Short

• Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru in 2017
• Shrikant Pangarkar was arrested in 2018, granted bail this year
• He was Shiv Sena (undivided) corporator from 2001 to 2006

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has cancelled the appointment of Shrikant Pangarkar, the accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, within the Shiv Sena, following public outrage.

Shinde, who also serves as the Chief Leader of the party, issued an order declaring all district-level appointments of Pangarkar in Jalna as "null and void".

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, former Shiv Sainik Pangarkar rejoined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday. The announcement was made in the presence of senior party leader and former state minister, Arjun Khotkar.

Khotkar announced that Pangarkar has not only returned to the party but also been appointed as the chief of the Jalna election campaign.

"Pangarkar is a former Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been nominated as the chief of the Jalna Assembly poll campaign," Khotkar told reporters.

However, after widespread criticism, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday said that if Pangarkar has been given any party post in Jalna district, the decision has been stayed.

Gauri Lankesh, a prominent journalist, was shot dead outside her residence in Karnataka's Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The investigation into her murder, conducted by Karnataka Police with support from agencies in Maharashtra, led to the arrest of several suspects.

Among those apprehended was former Jalna municipal councillor Shankar Pangarkar, who served in the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006. Pangarkar was arrested in August 2018, and after years of legal proceedings, he was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2023.

Pangarkar joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti after he was denied ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011.

Maharashtra Assembly polls will be held on November 20, while results will be declared on November 23. The term of the current assembly ends on November 26.