Bengaluru:  The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating into the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, have arrested one more person from Madikeri in Kodagu taking the total arrested to ten.

Police said that Rajesh D. Bangera, who was arrested, was remanded to Police custody till August 8 by 3rd ACMM Court.

Bangera is the Personal Secretary of Congress MLC S. Veena Achaiah.

With this the total number of arrest in connection with murder of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead in front of her house in Bengaluru last year, has risen to 10 and the team has intensified investigation.

Bangera, 50, works as a Second Division Assistant in the Education Department in Mangaluru and was appointed as Veena Achaiah’s Personal Secretary after she became the MLC.

He was arrested from his hometown in Madikeri. He was in possession of two licenced firearms.

He allegedly imparted weapon training to youth recruited by Amol Kale, a key suspect, and is believed to be one of handlers of suspected gunman Prashant Wagmore.

“He trained Kale’s boys and showed them how to handle guns and fire at a safe range for effective results,” said a source from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the case.

Bangera allegedly used the permits to procure ammunition for Kale. “He is an active member of right-wing Hindu outfits and would attend meetings where he often expressed his ideology, which hinged on the belief that Hinduism had to be safeguarded. He would instigate people to take up arms,” the source added.

It was through these meetings that he met Kale, who is from Pune in Maharashtra.

According to investigators, the two reportedly bonded over their common ideology and soon Bangera started training people. He allegedly helped Kale identify potential recruits.