Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has rescinded the appointment of Shrikant Pangarkar, implicated in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, following significant public backlash. Shinde, who also leads the Shiv Sena, issued a directive nullifying all of Pangarkar's district-level roles in Jalna.
Pangarkar, a former party member, had recently rejoined the Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena and was appointed as head of the Jalna election campaign, a move announced by senior leader Arjun Khotkar.
However, after facing extensive criticism, the party clarified that any appointments made for Pangarkar in Jalna would be suspended.
Gauri Lankesh, a well-known journalist, was murdered outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The investigation, conducted by the Karnataka Police with support from Maharashtra agencies, led to multiple arrests, including that of former Jalna municipal councillor Shankar Pangarkar. He was arrested in August 2018 and granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2023, after prolonged legal proceedings.