BELAGAVI: Investigation agencies of Karnataka and Maharashtra probing the murder of rationalists Gauri Lankesh , M M Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare believe that Chikale village in Khanapur taluk, 50km from Belagavi, is the link between their killers.

The killers used the same modus operandi in the murders of all four people. After investigations revealed Parashuram Waghamare of Vijayapura, prime accused in the Gauri murder case, received training in the use of an airgun in the dense forest on the outskirts of Chikale village, agencies are checking if the village had a role to play in other murders too.

Waghamare got airgun training on plot owned by Belagavi-based Bharat Kurane. The Karnataka SIT team arrested Kurane a fortnight ago. He also ran a resort close to the plot that was demolished by the revenue department in 2017. Investigators suspect the plot to murder Gauri Lankesh and other rationalists was hatched in this resort.

Earlier this week, a team SIT officers went to Chikale and interrogated residents. They spoke to Vithal Gavade, Mahadev Gavade and Vishwanath Gavade, who had worked in Kurane’s resort.

