GENEVA, 9 Mar: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expressed concern over the murder of an Indian journalist in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a fair probe to deliver justice to the bereaved family.
Local media reported that Raghavendra Vajpayee (40), a scribe associated with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagaran on Saturday in Imalia Sultanpur locality was riding his two-wheeler on the Lucknow-Delhi national highway when miscreants repeatedly shot at him in Sitapur area. Raghavendra was taken to a nearby hospital, but the attending doctors declared him dead.
It’s understood that the scribe earned enmity from some influential persons after he exposed the corruption on rice procurement incentive and stealing of stamp duty papers.
“It’s disheartening to know that a scribe has to pay heavily for his media works. Raghavendra Vajpayee becomes the 26th victim journalist across the world since 1 January, 2025. We demand a high-level investigation to book the culprits and punishment under the law,” PEC president Blaise Lempen said, adding that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should take a personal interest to resolve the case and adequately compensate the bereaved family.
PEC’s India representative Nava Thakuria revealed that India earlier lost another young scribe in the first week of January itself. Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar (30), from Bijapur locality of Chhattisgarh, was found dead and his body was recovered from a newly constructed septic tank belonging to an influential contractor based in Chattanpara area. A number of accused individuals were arrested by the police to unearth the murder case relating to Mukesh, who used to run a YouTube channel named ‘Bastar Junction’ and had exposed misappropriation of funds in various government projects in his locality.
