UP: Journalist burnt alive over Facebook post against SP MLA, case filed

Lucknow, June 9: Jagendra Singh, a Shahjahanpur based journalist was burnt alive by a police officer for a Facebook post against Samajwadi Party MLA Ram Murti.

The shocking incident reportedly took place on Monday, June 1. He succumbed to the severe injuries inflicted upon him, while he was being taken to Civil Hospital in Lucknow.

He had reportedly written about the MLA in newspapers accusing him of nefarious activities regarding illegal mining and forced occupation of land.

Singh's family claimed that the MLA also implicated him in a false case.

However the police officials have a different version to defend themselves.

The Superintendent of Police, Shahjahanpur was quoted saying as, "There was a case against Jagendra Singh. We tried to arrest him but he committed suicide."

Singh had a 15-year-long career in journalism. He worked with leading Hindi dailies like Amar Ujala, Hindustan, and Swatantra Bharat.

Presently, he had turned social media journalist and used to post news on Facebook with his profile name as, "Shahjahanpur Samachar".

Case filed against UP minister

A case was registered against Uttar Pradesh Minister Ram Murti Verma and five others, including a police official, following protests by family members of Singh.

The SP, Shahjahanpur city, will conduct the investigations into the journalist's death.

When his family on Tuesday refused to cremate the journalist till a case was registered against the minister and the issue was taken up on the social media, the officials lodged a case against Verma and five other people, including the accused police inspector.

Singh's family demands action against UP minister

The family also called for an independent probe into the whole matter leading to the death of Jagendra Singh.

Before his death on late Monday night of 60 percent burn injuries, Jagendra accused Verma of "unleashing" a reign of terror on him and his family for his investigative reports and comments against Verma.

The journalist alleged that he sustained burn injuries during a raid by Inspector Sriprakash Rai at his house in Awas Vikas Colony of Sadar Bazaar on June 1.

He told Inspector General (Civil Defence) Amitabh Thakur at the civil hospital two days ago that he was attacked on April 28 also near his house by the minister's henchmen but no action was taken in the case.

"He told me he was hounded for exposing Verma's alleged involvement in illegal mining and forced occupation of land," Thakur told a news agency.

OneIndia News