Victim burnt to death by a police officer.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: In a shocking incident in Utter Pradesh, a journalist was allegedly burnt to death by a police officer after his Facebook post against state minister for Backward Classes Welfare Ram Murti Singh Verma went viral.
According to reports, Jagendra Singh, a journalist based in Shahjahanpur, wrote a Facebook post about the criminal activities of Ram Murthi, accusing him of illegal mining and forceful encroachment of land. Following this, Singh was manhandled by goons of the minister.
Singh later went to the police and complained about the atrocities meted out to him for exposing criminal activities of the minister who is part of the ruling Samajwadi Party.
According to Singh’s family, a police officer allegedly set him ablaze during a subsequent raid and he died of third-degree burn injuries in Civil Hospital in Lucknow, on Monday.
According to police, an FIR has been registered against Ram Murti Singh Verma, Inspector Sri Prakash Rai and other four people identified as Gufran, Akash Gupta, Amit Pratap Singh and Bhure for allegedly setting Jagendra Singh ablaze and killing him.
The charges under IPC 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) have been slapped against the minister and others accused.
The report of Committee to Protect Journalists says a total of 59 journalists have been killed in India since 1992, out of which 41% were killed for covering beats about politicians. Out of the 59 journalists killed, the motive behind the killing of 22 of them is yet to be revealed. Compared to other Asian countries, India and Pakistan are the worst when it comes to crimes meted out against journalists.