Gauri Lankesh accused Pangarkar to contest in Jalna civic polls

An accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, Shrikant Pangarkar, is contesting as an independent candidate in the upcoming Jalna Municipal Corporation polls. Pangarkar, who is an accused in the Nalla Sopara arms haul case, will be contesting from ward number 13. He will face other candidates including candidates from BJP.

Pangarkar was Jalna municipal councillor of the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006. After he was dropped by the party during the 2011 civic elections, he joined the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti. He was arrested in 2018 in relation to the Gauri Lankesh case and was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court in 2024.

In 2024, Pangarkar joined the Shiv Sena led by then Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ahead of the Assembly elections. However, he was removed a day later.

Pangarkar was arrested in two cases — by the Karnataka police SIT for the Lankesh murder, and by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the Nallasopara arms haul case – and was lodged at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail before being released on bail.