The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case has held Hindu right wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha as responsible for the killing of the journalist-activist.

The SIT named Sanatan Sansta in its 9,235-page additional charge sheet filed in the Principal Civil and Sessions court in Bengaluru on Friday.

The charge sheet stated that a network within Sanatan Sanstha targeted Lankesh for no personal reasons.

It also said the planning to kill Lankesh took place for almost five years.

"The killer and the killed have no personal or any other enmity. Why she was killed? Because she believed in certain ideology, she wrote and spoke on that. So, it must be an ideology and it must be an organisation," Special Public Prosecutor S Balan told PTI.

The SIT has also sought permission to investigate the case further.

The first charge sheet in the sensational case was filed in May last.

Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning and strong anti-Hindutva views was shot dead in front of her house here on September 5 last year, triggering a nationwide outrage.

Soon after the then Siddaramaiah-led government constituted the SIT to probe into the killing.

So far, 18 people have been accused in the crime, including shooter Parashuram Waghmare, masterminds Amol Kale, Sujith Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degwekar, SIT sources told PTI.

The gang is suspected to be involved in the killing of three other rationalists M M Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and
Govind Pansare.

(PTI)