Karnataka police hunts for journalist Lankesh's killers

The Karnataka Police is on the hunt to trace and nab the killers of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead last night at her residence here, police said on Wednesday.

"The three special teams set up to crack the case are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are taking the movements of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) M.N. Anucheth told IANS here.

"We have alerted our counterparts in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as well," said Anucheth.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead by three unidentified men who had fired a total of seven bullets towards her when she returned home from her office in the city.

"Of the seven fired, four missed the target and hit the wall of the house. Three bullets had hit her -- two in her chest area and one in the forehead," Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had told reporters on Tuesday night.