Goa writer Damodar Mauzo given security in wake of Lankesh investigation

Goan 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, police sources said on Thursday.

"The lead about a possible threat to the life of Mauzo came during the interrogation of the alleged killers of Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru," the sources said. Director General of Police Muktesh Chander, however, refused to comment.

The award-winning Konkani writer and progressive thinker Mauzo confirmed to IANS that round-the-clock security was provided to him after he was informed by a central intelligence agency about threat to his life.

The writer said that he had initially declined security when offered earlier this week, but top police officials insisted on providing him with police guards.

"I have not received a death threat personally. But I was told by certain agencies that there is a threat to my life," he said.

The writer is a part of a writers collective known for "progressive" ideology.

The sources said the security detail was allotted to Mauzo in view of fatal attacks on writers and rationalists like Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi, Narayan Dabolkar and Gauri Lankesh. Lankesh was shot dead on September 5, 2017, in Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Mauzo, who writes in Konkani, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Karmelin in 1983.