Thousands bid tearful adieu to Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 6 (IANS) Thousands of people bade tearful farewell to renowned Kannada journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh as she was laid to rest with full state honours here on Wednesday.

A police honour guard gave a gun-salute to the slain journalist.

Her mortal remains were buried at a cemetery in Chamarajpet in central Bengaluru.

Gauri Lankesh hailed from the Lingayat community that does not cremate its dead.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy and a host of other leaders were present at the burial ground to pay their last respects to her.

People gathered to witness the funeral chanted "Gauri Lankesh Amar Rahe" (Long live Gauri Lankesh).

Her brother Indrajit Lankesh had earlier told reporters that the family would not be following any religious customs at the funeral.

"She was a rationalist and we do not want to go against her ideologies," he had said.

Gauri Lankesh, 55, was on Tuesday night shot dead by three unidentified men who fired seven bullets at her as she returned home from her office in the city. Two bullets hit her in the chest and one in the forehead.

She was the editor of popular Kannada tabloid "Gauri Lankesh Patrike".

Protests erupted throughout the day as journalists, activists, writers, thinkers, women organisations and others gathered across the country condemning her dastardly killing.