Shrikant Pangarkar, one of theဣ accused in the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh has officially joined Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra assembly electi💟ons.
This development comes a weekಌ after two of the murder accused received a grand welcome by pro-Hindu groups after a Bengaluru court granted them bail.
As per PTI, Panꦰgarkar joined Shinde Sena on Friday in the presence of party leader and former state minister Arjun Khotkar.
"Pangarkar is a former Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been nom𝓀inated as the chief of the Jalna assembly po💟ll campaign," said Khotkar.
Speaking to PTI, Khotkar said he also wants to contest the assembly poll from Jalna, but add꧃ed seat sharing discussions in the Mahayuti alliance are underway. The seat is currently held by Congress' Kailash Go💯rantyal.
As per the official announcement from the Election Commission of India, the Mꦿaharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20 and the results for the same will ꦰbe declared on November 23.
The term 𝓰of the current legislative assembly ends on No🍨vember 26.
Pangarkar's Role In The 2017 Murder of Gauri Lankesh
Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. As per reports, Shrikant Pan💖garkar was the senior associate of the prime suspect Amol Kale.
As per a report by the Times of India, the Special Investigation Team probing Lank🅷esh's murder poiไnted to Pangarkar's relation with Kale.
As per SIT, Kale revealed that the orders to kill Gauri Lankesh had been issued by a man baseꩵd in Maharashtra. Further investigation revealed that Pangarkar had been in contact with Kali before and after Lankesh's mu♎rder.
Pangarkar was arrested for his involvement in the murder of Gauri Lankesh in August 2018 and was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2024.
