BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday directed officials to initiate measures to set up a special court to try the killings of Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalburgi for speedy disposal of the matters.

The left-leaning Lankesh, a journalist was killed in September 2017 here allegedly by the same gang which had shot dead famous litterateur Kalburgi 2 years earlier at his residence in Dharwad.

In an administrative note, Siddaramaiah said Gauri's sister Kavitha Lankesh and Kalburgi's wife Umadevi and apprised him about the delay in the hearing of their case.

As they demanded that a special court with a full-time judge be set up to hear the case, the Chief Minister asked the Additional Chief Secretary dealing with internal administration to look into it for necessary action.