HUBBALLI: Amit Ramchandra Baddi, 27, and Ganesh Miskin, 28, arrested in connection with the case of the assassination of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh , are friends. One of them is married and has a child.

Baddi, a small jeweler, is a resident of Janata Bazaar. Miskin is a resident of Nekar Nagar and is an entrepreneur involved in agarbatti business. Sources said that Baddi is married and has a child. The special investigation team of the case detained the suspects in the city on Sunday. The sources said that SIT arrested Miskin first. When Baddi learned about the arrest of the Miskin, Baddi went to Old Hubballi police station to inquire. The SIT sleuths detained Baddi also at the station and took them both to Bengaluru.

The local police sources said that they were also clueless why they were detained. However, the SIT reportedly informed the local police the reason for detaining them only while leaving for Bengaluru. The sources said that both the suspects were members of pro-Hindu outfits. However, the family sources of both the suspects refuted the reports.

When the news of the detention of Baddi was telecasted, Amit's mother collapsed. His mother told reporters that the family is clueless about why they were taken to Bengaluru. She also defended her son and said that he was struggling to earn a livelihood for the family. Baddi's wife said that both Baddi and Miskin are innocents. She also alleged that the police detained them without a valid reason.

