Pratapgarh: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday demanded a high-level inquiry into the death of a journalist, who had recently reported on the liquor mafia, apparently in a road accident here.
The 42-year-old news channel reporter, Sulabh Srivastava, died as his motorcycle rammed a pole near a brick kiln in Sukhpal Nagar under the Kotwali police station area on Sunday, police said.
“The mysterious death of a TV reporter in an alleged accident is extremely sad. The BJP government, in this case, should constitute a high-level probe, and tell the family members and the public that despite the apprehension of murder by the liquor mafia expressed by the reporter, why he was not provided security,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.
Srivastava had recently run a news story against the liquor mafia in the region. Then on 12 June, he wrote to the Prayagraj additional director general of police to seek protection.
Additional Superintendent of Police Surendra Dwivedi said Srivastava died in a crash while returning from Asrahi village under the Lalganj police station area after reporting on an illegal arms manufacturing unit uncovered there.
थानाक्षेत्र कोतवाली नगर के कटरा चौराहे के पास एबीपी न्यूज के पत्रकार की सड़क दुर्घटना में मृत्यु होने के संबंध में अपर पुलिस अधीक्षक पूर्वी प्रतापगढ़ द्वारा दी गई वीडियो बाइट।@uppolice @dgpup @ADGZonPrayagraj @igrangealld @akashtomarips pic.twitter.com/oTGyZdok0i
— PRATAPGARH POLICE (@pratapgarhpol) June 13, 2021
Following the crash, a severely injured Srivastava was taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead, he said.
The officer said police were probing various angles and the body of the deceased was sent for a post-mortem examination.