The news of the cold blooded murder of Senior Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh has left everyone shocked. Twitter has erupted to condemn the killing of a gutsy editor who was regarded for her outspoken and strong opinions. As per news reports,she was murdered post 7.30 at her Ideal Home layout residence in Raja Rajshwari Nagar.

“Reports suggest that she came back home late from office and the unidentified men were already hiding, waiting for her. They shot at her and escaped the scene. Imagine, people can just come to your house and kill you. These are the times that we are living in,” says Priyanka Mittal, a social commentator and a keen political observer from Bangalore. This isn’t the first of its kind death,we have seen this happen to rationalist MM Kalburgi, who was killed two years ago in similar circumstance. And not just them, even the former Vice Chancellor of Kannada University,Hampi, who was also critical of the right wing agenda, was shot in his residence. “I am certain that the right wingers are behind the act, though there are no official confirmation. I would say that we are living in dark times, if anyone can be killed for their opinions. This surely isn’t democracy if the state decides or shields goons who kill dissent like this,” says Tanmaya Tyagi, Senior Political Cartoonist and Illustrator. As a mark of protest, he won’t celebrate his birthday tomorrow. “I won’t celebrate my birthday tomorrow. Our fraternity is being targeted. This is a well planned murder. The elections are due and this is how they are silencing dissent,” he says.

The details of her death are still coming in, the DGP RK Dutta was quoted saying that she was shot while she was opening her gate. Daughter of writer and jounalist P Lankesh, Gauri was known to take up issues without mincing her words. ” We have very few journalists left who would fight for the right and not sell themselves to power. She belonged to that category. Sadly, firebrands like her become mere statistics,” says Alaknanada Banerjee, Anchor in a local news Channel.

Even though Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah condemned this heinous crime through his twitter handle, not many are hopeful of an outcome. “I don’t think these kind of cases see any conclusion. And think, this will meet similar fate,” says Kamalkshya B, Reporter, 24 Ghanta.com. He adds, “As a country we should stand up for humanity. And the right to have multi coloured opinions.”