The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Indian officials to fully investigate the killing of journalist Raghvendra Bajpai, who was shot dead on March 8 in Uttar Pradesh. They want to find out if his death is connected to his work.
CPJ’s Asia Program Coordinator, Beh Lih Yi, emphasized that the killing should be thoroughly investigated, particularly to determine if it relates to Bajpai’s reporting on alleged corruption. “Violence against journalists, especially in smaller towns, must not go unpunished,” she said, adding that those responsible for Bajpai’s death should be held accountable.
According to police reports, Bajpai, 35, worked as a reporter for the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran. He left his home around 2:30 p.m. for a meeting and was shot multiple times on an overpass about an hour later. He was declared dead at the hospital. Bajpai’s family suspects that his death may be connected to his investigative stories about corruption in paddy procurement and stamp duty evasion.
Police have launched an investigation under murder charges, which could result in either the death penalty or a life sentence. While they have questioned 25 people, no arrests have been made yet. Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that his journalistic work could be the reason for his murder.
