Goa Writer Given Police Security Amid Gauri Lankesh Murder Investigation

Goa-based writer Damodar Mauzo has been provided police security following threat to his life in view of revelations made by those arrested in the murder case of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the assembly on Friday.

The Sahitya Akademi award winning writer's name had cropped up in an interrogation of suspects prompting the additional security earlier this week.

"We got a message from the Home Ministry that some names (of writers) had emerged during the interrogation of the suspects in the Lankesh murder case.

"(Among them) is one from Goa. I immediately told the police to provide him security. The government acted quickly on the information," Mr Parrikar said, after Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo raised the issue during Zero Hour.

"I know Mauzo personally,"Mr Parrikar said.

Mr Mauzo, who writes in Konkani was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Karmelin in 1983. He told IANS on Thursday, that he had rejected the police offer for security, but had accepted it on repeated insistence.

"No bullet can defeat a thought," Mr Mauzo said.