Raghavendra Vajpayee
Lucknow/Geneva: Raghavendra Vajpayee (40), a scribe associated with Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagaran was shot dead by unknown miscreants in Sitapur area of Imalia Sultanpur when he was riding his two-wheeler on Lucknow-Delhi national highway, on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Local media reported that Raghavendra was taken to a nearby hospital, but the attending doctors declared him dead.
It’s understood that the scribe earned enmity from some influential persons in Imalia Sultanpur after he exposed the corruption on rice procurement incentive and stealing of stamp duty papers.
“It’s disheartening to know that a scribe has to pay heavily for his media works. Raghavendra Vajpayee becomes the 26th victim-journalist across the world since January 1, 2025. We demand a high-level investigation to book the culprits and punish under the law,” Blaise Lempen, President of Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, said in Geneva, adding that Uttar Pradesh government chief Yogi Adityanath should take a personal interest to resolve the case and adequately compensate the bereaved family. Expressing concern over the murder of the journalist, the PEC today demanded a fair probe to deliver justice to the bereaved family.
PEC’s India representative Nava Thakuria revealed that India earlier lost another young scribe in the first week of January itself. Courageous journalist Mukesh Chandrakar (30) from Bijapur locality of Chhattisgarh was found dead and even his body was recovered by a newly constructed septic tank belonging to an influential contractor based in Chattanpara area.
Several accused individuals were arrested by the police to unearth the murder case relating to Mukesh, who used to run a YouTube channel named Bastar Junction and went on exposing the misappropriation of funds in various government projects in his locality.
– global bihari bureau
