One of the accused in Gauri Lankesh’s murder in 2017, Shrikant Pangarkar who contested Municipal Corporation election in Maharashtra as an independent candidate has won the election.
Pangarkar secured 2,661 votes winning against almost all parties that contested the elections. The second runner up secured 2,477 votes. Contesting from Ward 13 in Jalna city, he defeated his rival, a BJP candidate, by a margin of 184 votes.
Pangarkar earlier served as municipal councellor from 2001- 2006. In 2011, when the party denied him a ticket, a joined Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. He then joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena before November 2024 Assembly elections for a brief time.
After his win, Pangarkar celebrated with his followers. His victory soon drew public attention due to his alleged involvement in the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh.
Lankesh was murdered just outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. Investigations concluded that 18 people were involved in the murder, all of whom were linked to hindutva groups.
One of the accused was Pangarkar. In 2018, he was arrested by the ATS after the discovery of explosives at his home.
He was charged in 2021 along with others including prime accused Amol Kale.
Reportedly, all the accused were linked to a hindutva group based in Goa called Sanatan Sanstha.
The Karnataka High Court granted him bail in September 2024 despite being booked under the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Pangarkar secured 2,661 votes winning against almost all parties that contested the elections. The second runner up secured 2,477 votes. Contesting from Ward 13 in Jalna city, he defeated his rival, a BJP candidate, by a margin of 184 votes.
Pangarkar earlier served as municipal councellor from 2001- 2006. In 2011, when the party denied him a ticket, a joined Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. He then joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena before November 2024 Assembly elections for a brief time.
After his win, Pangarkar celebrated with his followers. His victory soon drew public attention due to his alleged involvement in the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh.
Lankesh was murdered just outside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. Investigations concluded that 18 people were involved in the murder, all of whom were linked to hindutva groups.
One of the accused was Pangarkar. In 2018, he was arrested by the ATS after the discovery of explosives at his home.
He was charged in 2021 along with others including prime accused Amol Kale.
Reportedly, all the accused were linked to a hindutva group based in Goa called Sanatan Sanstha.
The Karnataka High Court granted him bail in September 2024 despite being booked under the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.