A day after he wrote to Prayagraj additional director general of police alleging that his life was in danger and requesting protection, an ABP Ganga journalist covering Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the night of June 13.
The journalist, Sulabh Srivastava, was found injured and half naked near a brick kiln on Katra road. He was taken to a hospital and declared dead.
अपडेट: साथी पत्रकार सुलभ श्रीवास्तव में एक दिन पहले (12 जून) ही एडीजी जोन प्रयागराज को जान माल की सुरक्षा के संबंध में दी थी एप्लीकेशन,दूसरे दिन (13 जून) संदिग्ध हालात में मिली लाश
— आदित्य तिवारी / Aditya Tiwari (@aditytiwarilive) June 13, 2021
उत्तर प्रदेश में "अपराध गढ़" के नाम से विख्यात प्रतापगढ़ में पत्रकार भी सुरक्षित नहीं! https://t.co/yurw3HY1PG pic.twitter.com/LR7cA1djLG
On June 12, Srivastava had written to the police about reporting on police raids on illegal liquor factories in three areas of the district in the last couple of days. ABP Ganga's digital portal had published one of his reports on June 9.
Asking for protection, Srivastava had said he had been informed by sources that the liquor mafia was angry with him after the publication of his report and wanted to harm him or his family.
Update on June 15
The police have registered a murder case in connection with Srivastava's death, Indian Express reported, after initially calling it a prima facie case of accident.
Prior to the murder case being registered, the Editors Guild had issued a statement saying it was shocked by the "cavalier manner in which Uttar Pradesh police" was treating Srivastava's "mysterious death". "Srivastava died a couple of days after he wrote the letter to the police," the statement said. "The police is passing off his death as being caused by an accident..."
The Editors Guild of India is shocked by the cavalier manner in which Uttar Pradesh Police is treating the mysterious death of TV journalist, Sulabh Srivastava, in Pratapgarh. pic.twitter.com/KqYKwByMfe
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) June 14, 2021
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