Ghaziabad (UP), Jul 21 (Aryavarth) Vikram Joshi, a Ghaziabad-based journalist was returning home in Vijay Nagar area with his two daughters on a motorcycle when he was waylaid by over half a dozen armed men at around 10.30 pm on Monday, officials said. The attack comes days after Vikram Joshi, who works with a local daily, lodged a complaint at the local Vijay Nagar police post against some people for harassing his niece on July 16 and he feared for his life.
In his complaint lodged at the Vijay Nagar police post, Joshi had named Chhotu, Ravi and Akash, his family alleged. The journalist was given a life threat by the accused men, according to the allegations made in the FIR.
The family has alleged inadequate action by the local police post in-charge, who has been suspended with immediate effect considering the gravity of the matter. A departmental inquiry has been ordered and the local Circle Officer will probe the matter, SSP Naithani said.
The journalist was shot in the head by one of the accused, who then fled the spot, leaving him severely injured. He was taken to a hospital where he died later. Senior Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad, Kalanidhi Naithani said nine people, including two of the three named in the FIR, have been arrested while the local police post in-charge was suspended in the wake of the incident.
The FIR by Vikram to the police had three named suspects Chhotu, Akash Bihari and Ravi besides some unidentified people. Chhotu and Ravi have been arrested, while searches are underway to nab Akash and six police teams are working on the case, he added. Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the Uttar Pradesh government over the law-and-order situation in the state following the incident.
“Ghaziabad falls in NCR. Going by the state of law and order here, one can get an idea of the situation in the entire state of UP. A journalist was shot at because he complained to the police against molestation of his niece. How will common man feel safe in such a jungle raj,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.