Killings – Journalists

The death of journalist Basavaraj Kanakond in Karnataka’s Bagalkot, initially believed to be a road accident, has been confirmed as murder linked to blackmail over an illegal rice supply racket, police said on Saturday. Bagalkot police have apprehended three individuals in connection with the case.

Kanakond died on 8 October after his scooter was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Madarkhandi Cross in Jamakhandi taluk. The incident, first treated as an accident, came under scrutiny after his wife filed a complaint, prompting police to reopen the probe.

Kanakond had reportedly collected proof about an illegal rice network. Rather than publishing the story, he began blackmailing the implicated individuals, police said.