A regional journalist working for a Hindi daily was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday, police said.
The incident took place on the Sitapur-Delhi National Highway near the Hempur railway crossing in the Imalia Sultanpur police station area.
The victim, identified as 35-year-old Raghvendra Bajpai, was riding his motorcycle when the assailants opened fire.
“He was struck by three bullets in the shoulder and chest. The attackers fled the scene on their motorcycle,” said Praveen Ranjan Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sitapur.
Local residents helped rush Bajpai to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Threats Before the Murder
Bajpai’s family told reporters that he had received threatening phone calls in the days leading up to his death.
“We have started collecting evidence, and district borders have been sealed to prevent the attackers from escaping. Call records and other legal processes are underway,” ASP Singh added.
The police sent Bajpai’s body for a post-mortem examination to gather further details.
Chhattisgarh Journalist Found Dead
This incident follows the recent murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, a journalist from Chhattisgarh, who was found dead on January 3. His body was discovered inside a septic tank in Bijapur district on the property of a contractor recently accused of corruption.
Mukesh, 36, ran a popular YouTube news channel called ‘Bastar Junction’ and frequently reported on corruption and the Maoist conflict. He also worked as a stringer for prominent news channels, including NDTV.
Mukesh was last seen on January 1 after receiving a phone call from the contractor’s cousin. His phone was switched off shortly after midnight, according to Hindustan Times.
Suresh Chandrakar, the main suspect, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hyderabad after fleeing the scene.
The post-mortem report revealed that Mukesh suffered severe injuries. His body showed 15 fractures on his head, a broken neck, and a heart torn into four pieces. His liver was severely damaged, and five ribs and several neck bones were fractured.
One of his hands was also broken. Mukesh’s body was eventually identified by a tattoo on his hand.
