Bengaluru: Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, an outspoken critic of Hindutva politics, was shot dead here on Tuesday, the police said.

Karnataka police chief R K Dutta said Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar.

Gauri, aged 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said.

She died instantaneously. Four bullets hit the compound wall of her building in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, the officials said.

Lankesh edited a Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike' besides owning some other publications, and was known for her forthright views against hardline Hindutva politics.

Bengaluru police commissioner T Sunil Kumar, along with senior police officers, rushed to the spot and officials said it was not immediately known who carried out the attack and the motive behind it.

Police suspected that she was under surveillance of the assailants who must have trailed her closely.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah termed her death shocking.

The chief minister said three police teams have been constituted to probe the killing. Instructions have been issued to crack the case and bring the culprits to book at the earliest, he said.

Who has fostered this climate of bigotry, hate, intolerance & violence in India that took her life today? Why was she such a threat to them? — Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) September 5, 2017

He said recently Gauri had been instrumental in bringing Naxalites into the mainstream and they had surrendered.

The truth will never be silenced. Gauri Lankesh lives on in our hearts. My condolences &love to her family. The culprits have to be punished — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 5, 2017

"It's shocking news for me. No one who has faith in humanity will ever kill anyone. Gauri Lankesh was secular and helped government bring the Naxals back to the mainstream," said Siddaramaiah.

As a friend, colleague & admirer for decades shocked & shattered to hear of the murder of Gauri Lankesh,one of India's gutsiest journalists — vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) September 5, 2017

He wondered why Gauri didn't tell the government about the threat to her life though she had met him many times.

Pansare, Kalburgi, Dabholkar, Lankesh, who is next? What is going on? Why haven't the guilty been caught in previous cases? #GauriLankesh — Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) September 5, 2017

“Such cold blooded acts deserve highest condemnation. “Shocked to learn abt murder of tall progressive force & senior journalist Gauri Lankesh,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Home minister Ramalinga Reddy drew parallels between the gunning down of Gauri and rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and M M Kalburgi, allegedly by fringe Hindu groups. Dabholkar was shot dead in August 2013, while Kalburgi was gunned down in August 2015.

"Who is behind the incident, is it the Naxals or any other ideological fringe parties were behind the incident will be known only after investigation. It is very premature to hold anybody responsible for the incident," Reddy said.

Police have cordoned off the area around her house.

Lankesh was convicted in a defamation case filed by BJP MP Prahlad Joshi over a report published in her tabloid against some saffron party leaders.

"I do not know how to react. The assailants should be brought to the book. The case should be handed over to CBI," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh said.

Kerala chief minister and CPM veteran Pinarayi Vijayan demanded the speedy arrest of the culprits while his party chief Sitaram Yechury termed the cold-blooded murder “reprehensible”.

“The truth will never be silenced. Gauri Lankesh lives on in our hearts. My condolences &love to her family. The culprits have to be punished,” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said.

Several people in media and public life took to Twitter to express shock at Lankesh's killing.

"As a friend, colleague & admirer for decades shocked & shattered to hear of the murder of Gauri Lankesh, one of India's gutsiest journalists," said Vir Sanghvi, an eminent media personality.

Lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted: "Shocking & tragic! Brave journalist Gauri Lankesh who exposed the BJP has been shot dead in her home in Bangalore!"

Among very few woman editors in Kannada journalism, she was a fierce activist, who openly expressed her pro-Naxal and Leftist views.

Born in 1962, Gauri was the daughter of legendary Kannada journalist and founding editor of Kannada weekly tabloid 'Lankesh Patrike'.

Her siblings -- Kavitha and Indrajit Lankesh -- are film and theater personalities.

(With inputs from PTI)

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