Gauri's sister rejects claims of her killing over 'EVM hacking article'

Slain journalist Gauri Lankesh'ssister Kavita Lankesh has rubbished the claim made by a US-based self-styled cyber expert and hacker that Lankesh was killed because she was planning to write an article on the hacking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). "I am aware of it and I think it is completely false. I don't think it is true at all. I don't know why it was said like this. I don't believe my sister was targeting for that at all," Kavita Lankesh told PTI.

Lankesh was shot dead on September 5, 2017 evening outside her house. Police have arrested 16 people, while two suspects are at large.

Police have claimed that a right-wing criminal syndicate, which killed the left-leaning journalist Lankesh, was inspired by the literature brought out by a right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha and assassinated her for being 'Durjan' (evil person), as mentioned in the book. However, adding an outlandish twist to the story, the man identified as Syed Shuja had said he had met Lankesh and wanted the article on EVM to be published in her weekly when the assassination happened.

Kavita said, "The murder was a political conspiracy but I don't believe in this kind of twist. So far, the investigation is going in the right direction." When asked whether she believed that there were political motives behind the claims, she said, "I guess so. It's fake news. I don't need to go into it." The Election Commission has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to register an FIR against Syed Shuja, who at a press conference in London on Monday claimed EVMs can be hacked, and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.

In its complaint, the poll panel asked the police to investigate the matter "promptly" for violation of certain sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with spreading the rumour to alarm and "create fear" in the minds of the public.

(With inputs from agencies.)