Press Statement

IJU condemns murder of journalist in Bihar

12 Nov, 2016

The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) strongly condemned the murder of Dharmendra Singh, Correspondent of Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar at Rohtas in Bihar on Saturday morning, 12 November. He was shot dead by three motorcycle borne unidentified assailants while he was having his morning tea at tea stall near his house.

He was the second journalist in Bihar and fifth in the country, to be murdered this year so far. One each in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gujarat lost their lives this year.

In a statement issued on Saturday, S N Sinha, President, Amar Devulapalli, Secretary-General of Indian Journalists Union (IJU), K Amarnath and Prabhat Dash, members of Press Council of India (PCI) said the series of murders of journalists in the country, making it one of the unsafe countries in the world, reinforced the demand of the Union for a special law for protection of journalists.

“Last year eight journalists were killed and this year five journalists lost their lives while discharging their duty in service of the people and democracy. It is unfortunate that the killers of journalists were getting away with impunity. In the last two decades more than 100 journalists were killed and in 94 percent of the cases are either languishing in the courts or the accused are acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

“We call upon the working journalists and their organizations should launch a powerful campaign for enactment of a special law for the protection of journalists with provisions for adequate compensation to the family of the slain journalists,” the statement said.

The IJU leaders urged upon the Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice C K Prasad to take suo motu cognizance of the case and immediately appoint a sub-committee of the Council to enquire into the murder of journalist Dharmendra Singh.

Written By

Indian Journalists' Union Indian Journalists' Union

F-29, Shankar Market Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110001 Telephone +91 9810889396

Comments