Shrikant Pangarkar, Gauri Lankesh murder accused, wins in Jalna civic poll as independent

SHrikant Pangarkar, 1 of the accused of the hit of journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017, secured triumph in Jalna Municipal corp election on fri as an independent candidate from ward number 13.Pangarkar fought the civic body polls as an independent even though he joined the Shiv Sena in November 2024 ahead of the assembly polls in Maharashtra. However, his induction into the party was put in abeyance by Eknath Shinde following an outcry, according to a news agency PTI report.Track live updates of BMC election results here.Pangarkar was not fielded by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for Jalna civic body and faced opponents from the Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties. He celebrated his victory with his supporters by dancing, show visuals shared by PTI. After securing the victory, Pangarkar said that the Gauri Lankesh murder case still remains under trial and there has been no conviction against him so far, reported India Today.Pangarkar’s candidature was announced last week, following which he said that the murder case against him has nothing to do with the election and said that justice will be done as he is “100 per cent innocent”.Also read: BJP-led Mahayuti leads in 24 of 29 civic bodies; dominates Mumbai, Pune“I had been a councillor for 10 years. With the development work I did in those 10 years, they are connected with me. I came back after a gap and a new generation is here. The new generation is also connecting with me. So, it feels good to work with everyone...Election and that matter (Gauri Lankesh murder) have nothing to do with each other. That matter is related to Karnataka. I stand before the Court, and justice will be done to me because I am 100% innocent...", ANI quoted him as saying on January 9.Who is Shrikant PangarkarEarlier, Pangarkar was a part of the undivided Shiv Sena and was a member of the Jalna municipal council from the party between 2001 and 2006, according to a PTI report. Later, after he was denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011, he joined Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.Pangarkar is one of the accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case which grabbed national attention. Lankesh, a journalist, was shot dead outside her home in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.In 2018, Pangarkar was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad in an arms haul case and was booked under the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).In September 2024, Karnataka High Court granted him bail in the Gauri Lankesh murder case.