NHRC accepts the criminal proceedings against the 16 arrested accused by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in the murder of a journalist by the alleged sand mafia in Unnao

New Delhi, 22nd February, 2021

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has accepted the action taken by the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, in response to its suo motu notice, that 16 accused persons were arrested for their involvement in the killing of a Journalist, Shubham Tripathy in Unnao district on 19th June 2020. He was working as a correspondent with a Hindi Daily, Kampu Mail and reporting about the illegal sand mining in the district. He had apprehended threat to his life from the sand mafia.

The State Government has informed that an FIR No.188/2020, dated: 19-06-2020, was registered under Section-147/148/149/302/34 of IPC at Gangaghat Police Station, District-Unnao and subsequently, the accused were arrested on different dates and sent to Jail. The CB, CID, during investigation, had collected the call details and forensic evidence. And now, the case is under trial in a court.

The Commission had taken suo motu cognizance of the matter on the basis of a media report that a journalist was allegedly killed by sand mafia in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh on the 19th June, 2020. Reportedly, his opponents had also lodged a complaint against him with the District Magistrate.

The Commission had issued a notice to the Government of Uttar Pradesh, through its Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, calling for a detailed report in the matter. The State Government had also been directed to get an impartial enquiry into the matter by an independent agency, preferably the State CB-CID and to ensure safety of the family of the victim and the witnesses in the matter. The call details and other forensic evidence gathered during inquiry to be preserved, as the Commission might call them during consideration of the case.

Issuing the notices, the Commission had observed then that according to the media report, in many cases the media persons were being targeted by the anti-social elements, and in most of the cases, no action against the culprits was taken by the police authorities. In the democratic system of governance, the media is considered as its fourth pillar, which cannot be allowed to be victimised by the anti-social elements in such a cruel manner. It is the duty of the state to provide adequate safety and security to the media persons, who, in public interest, keep taking risks highlighting the illegal activities in society.

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