Press Council take suo moto cognizance of a journo’s murder n directs the UP govt to submit the ATR at the earliest
The Press Council of India has taken an extremely serious view and Suo Moto Cognizance of a brutal murder of a journalist in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh and condemned the most obnoxious act in strongest possible terms directing the Uttar Pradesh government through the chief secretary and the director general of Uttar Pradesh police and superintendent of police and the district magistrate Balrampur to submit the report on the facts of the case at the earliest.
It may be recalled that a young firebrand investigate journalist Rakesh Singh working for a daily newspaper of Lucknow was allegedly pre meditatedly attacked and burnt alive by by the village headman and his henchmen as he was the greatest obstacle on their way to carry out corrupt activities in the village.
The young journalist Rakesh Singh was their prime target as he never compromised to their illegal and unconstitutional actions n was allegedly exposing them on certain corrupt actions.
According to various media reports the journalist Rakesh Singh had while succumbing to the severe burn injuries in the hospital had given a dying declaration allegedly openly accusing the village head and the Panchs of attacking and burning him alive while he was filing a big story.
There was terror of these mafias all around in Balrampur Uttar Pradesh with the media highlighting the issue to the hilt demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits and sentencing them stringently for the brutal murder of a scribe who was trying to expose their misdeeds.
The Press Council of India has taken the Suo Moto Congnizance in this important matter after the member of the Press Council of India Mr. Anand Prakash Rana had addressed a strong letter to the chairman of Press Council of India Justice C. K. Prasad with a request for doing the needful in the Balrampur brutal murder at the earliest in order to bring the culprits of this horrendous crime to justice at the earliest.
The PCI member Rana has written to the chairman justice Prasad that on 27, 28 October a journalist namely Rakesh Singh was brutally murdered by “Dabangs” of Balrampur, UP and the district administration has not provided him any safety n security despite the deceased journalists’ demand for the same few days before.
PCI member has also complained about the laxity in the due delivery of justice to the bereaved family of the murdered journalist despite so much of hue n cry in the media. He also expressed his concern over the increasing incidents of attacks n murders of journalists n whistle blowers in Uttar Pradesh n other parts of the country.
The Press Council of India’s chairperson Justice V. K. Prasad has strongly condemned the attack n subsequent brutal murder of the journalist Rakesh Singh in Balrampur on 27th n 28th November and while taking the Suo Motu Cognizance has through the UP chief secretary n DGP sought the action taken report in the said case terming it as extremely serious and important.
