Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the brutal murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, has suspicions of Amol Khale and fugitive Nihal alias Dada being the masterminds behind the heinous act.

The SIT had previously arrested Amol Khale alias Bhaisab alias Sanjay Bhansare (37) a realtor and right-wing activist from Pune, from the Goa-Karnataka border on May 30. The SIT mentioned Nihal in the remand application filed before the court seeking his custody. Nihal, assumed to be a native of Maharashtra, is absconding.

Manohar Yadave, another accused in Gauri’s murder confessed to the SIT that he periodically informed Khale and Nihal about Guari’s movements. It is reported that KT Naveen and Manohar watched Gauri when she ran her errands. SIT sources admitted that although they required more concrete evidence to support their suspicions, the evidence they have at present certainly indicates that Khale and Nihal were the masterminds.

The SIT, in its chargesheet filed before the court, stated that in her confession to the investigating body, Naveen Kumar’s wife Roopa revealed that her husband had bought a pistol and offered his blood to it during Ayudha Pooja. She also told the SIT that when she informed her husband about Gauri’s death, he did not react.

Syed Shabbir, an employee at the City Gun House in Kalasipalya and a witness in the case, revealed to the SIT that Naveen had purchased 18 rounds of .32 bullets from him 8 years prior. Sayed told investigators that Naveen had approached him to buy a pistol however, he refused seeing that Naveen didn’t possess a licence. Naveen had come once again in the hopes of obtaining live bullets under the pretense of wanting to wear them as a locket, Sayed told investigators. After being pestered for bullets, Sayed said he finally gave in and sold Naveen 18 rounds for Rs 3000.

According to investigators, four of the men involved in the murder plot, Amol being one among them, went to great lengths to keep their identities hidden. The other three have beenn identified as Sujeet Kumar alias Praveen alias Manjunath alias Sujeet S.R. (37), from Udupi in Karnataka; Amit Degwekar alias Amit alias Pradeep Mahajan (38), from Ponda in Goa and Manohar Edave alias Manoj (28), from Vijayapura in Karnataka. They are said to have used fake names, multiple sim cards, phones and coded messages to achieve this goal.