Mayawati demands impartial probe into death of journalist

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday demanded a swift, impartial and credible probe into the death of a journalist of a private news channel in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh, who had recently reported on the liquor mafia.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday registered a case of murder after the 42-year-old Sulabh Srivastava died here in what appeared to be a road accident. In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, the terror of the liquor mafia is known to all. The gruesome murder of a TV news channel reporter for exposing their black deeds is extremely saddening.

"The government must ensure stringent punishment to the guilty by carrying out a swift, impartial and credible probe," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister demanded. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday had demanded a high-level inquiry into the death, terming it "mysterious", while West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over the demise of the journalist, saying "we are unable to save lives who are working tirelessly towards unfolding the truth".

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too had hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of "nurturing jungle raj". "The liquor mafia from Aligarh to Pratapgarh: has caused death throughout the state. The government is silent," Gandhi had said. Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar had told reporters that "Sulabh Srivastava had gone for news coverage to the Kotwali Lalganj area on Sunday and was returning home late in the night. He was found seriously injured near the Sukhpal Nagar brick kiln and was taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead."