Handicapped suicide: Scribes demand high-level probe

Varanasi, Aug 5 (UNI) Reacting sharply to police investigations into the role of electronic media scribes in the July 31 suicide attempt by 12 physically challenged street-side stall owners, a body of journalists here has demanded high-level probe into the episode.

''By unnecessarily holding the media responsible for the July 31 unfortunate incident, the district administration and police are trying to hide their failure in checking the extreme step by the physically challenged vendors,'' Kashi Patrakar Sangh general secretary K D N Rai said at a coordination meeting between print and electronic media scribes here last evening.

''We condemn the efforts by authorities here to malign the media by trying to frame up representatives of two premier news channels only with the motive of saving its skin in the July 31 episode, which resulted in the death of five of the 12 disabled vendors, who attempted suicide to protest Varanasi Nagar Nigam's anti-encroachment drive,'' he added.

''The entire journalist fraternity demands that the Mayawati government immediately suspend District Magistrate Veena Kumari Meena and Senior Police Superintendent S B Shirodkar. We also demand a high-level probe into the entire matter, followed by punitive action against those found guilty,'' Mr Rai noted.

A delegation of the electronic and print media scribes also met Divisional Commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarna last evening and handed him a memorandum containing the demands addressed to the Chief Minister.

As many as 12 handicapped street-side stall owners had attempted suicide in the Gurubag area. Five of them later succumbed at a hospital.

A case of abetment to suicide was registered at the Luxa police station against two self-proclaimed leaders of the handicapped vendors--Namo Upadhyaya and Ravi Banerjee. The FIR also mentioned about investigations into the possible role of representatives of 'Star News' and 'IBN 7' in allegedly instigating the disabled persons to resort to the extreme step.

A magisterial probe had also been ordered into the incident.

UNI