Gauri Lankesh, the 'Gutsy' Journalist Who Wouldn't Take No For an Answer

New Delhi: “The right to dissent is being curbed,” said Gauri Lankesh in an interview just about a couple of months ago to a media publication.

Known for her staunch stand against right wing ideology and policies, Gauri, late on Tuesday evening, was shot dead by, what has been reported till now, three men from a close-range right outside her home in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeswari Nagar. It has been reported that she was followed by a group of men as she left her office for her home.

Daughter of famous writer and journalist, P Lankesh, she ran Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada newspaper published, owned and edited by her.

Last year in November, she was convicted in two separate cases of defamation for her article in January 2008. The articles criticised leaders from the Bhartiya Janata Party. Gauri was granted bail.

Soon after news of her death spread, friends and well-wishers spoke of the journalist as one of the gutsiest they had ever seen.

Speaking to CNN-News18, senior journalist Vir Sanghvi said that Gauri was someone who never bogged down to intimidation and pressure.

“She was feisty. And I have to say, after her father died, she gathered more strength and courage. She would not take no for an answer,” Sanghvi said. Sanghvi had worked with the journalist in Sunday, a newsmagazine published by ABP group.

Calling her an editor’s delight, he said that Gauri was someone who was respected across the spectrum for her courage and integrity.

“She had access. There have been times when I have met CMs of Karnataka through her, and she’d be treated with such respect. Nobody would say no to her and it was purely because of her work ethics,” Sanghvi said.

Saying that it was too early to jump to conclusions, Sanghvi said it was safe to believe that it was a sure shot hit.

“This is not an attempt to robbery that we’re talking about. This was an outright shot at her,” he told CNN-News18.

Sanghvi was joined by many others from the fraternity, who took to Twitter and Facebook, condemning the gruesome murder.

Gauri Lankesh was a well-known critic of the right. She had, in many interviews, spoken about how she was worried about the state of freedom of expression in India, and in her recent social media posts, she had flagged off the issue of fake news and propaganda.

“This is an assassination on democracy. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice, and I have lost a friend,” tweeted Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.