On September 28, ten days after his disappearance, journalist Rajeev Pratap Singh’s body was recovered from a barrage in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. His family has raised suspicions of foul play, asserting that he had been threatened due to his journalism work.
Rajeev Pratap Singh, a 36-year-old journalist from Uttarkashi and the operator of the YouTube channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live, went missing on the night of September 18. His wife, Muskan, stated that she last spoke to him around 11 PM that evening. Following their conversation, he became unreachable.
In a media address, Muskan revealed that her husband had been anxious due to threats related to his recent reports on a district hospital and a school. According to her, he received menacing calls demanding the removal of a video he uploaded on September 16, which addressed the deteriorating conditions of a local hospital. Muskan emphasized, “At 11:50 PM, I sent a message, and it went undelivered. He was abducted by someone. I am sure he did not just fall off the road.”
The family filed a missing person report, noting that Rajeev had left for Gangori-Bhatwari and did not return. The complaint expressed concerns, stating, “Rajeev Pratap is a well-known journalist from Uttarkashi. Many people in the area hold enmity against him. We fear that some untoward incident may have happened.”
Police officials initially suggested that Rajeev likely met with an accident. Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobhal indicated that his vehicle fell into the swollen Bhagirathi River at the time. His car was reportedly recovered on September 19, but his body was found later at Joshiyara Barrage.
“The family has levelled allegations regarding his death, and we are awaiting the postmortem report to establish the cause of death. On initial inspection, his car appeared to have fallen into a gorge and subsequently into the river. CCTV footage recorded him alone in the vehicle shortly before the incident,” stated SP Dobhal. Police reported seeing Rajeev near a bus stop in his Alto car roughly at 11:20 PM on September 18. A slipper belonging to him was also found in the wreckage of the vehicle.
Following the tragic event, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed condolences and called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation. Media organizations underscored the need for clarity surrounding the circumstances of Rajeev’s death. Kunāl Majumder, the India representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), urged authorities not to disregard any possible causes of his death, particularly the serious allegations made by his family regarding his journalism-related threats. He stressed that those who threaten journalists must be held accountable.
Also, the IIMC Alumni Association, of which Rajeev Pratap Singh was a member, issued a statement advocating for transparency in the investigation and clarity regarding the events leading to his death.
Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore remarked, “Killing a journalist is akin to dismantling a brick from the fourth pillar of democracy.”
The recovery of Rajeev Pratap Singh’s body has raised urgent questions about journalist safety and accountability in relation to threats faced by media personnel in the region.
Tags: Uttarkashi journalist, found dead, foul play, reporting threats, family concerns
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