A day after a senior journalist was gunned down in the Siwan district of Bihar, his family on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the killing, even as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar vowed to act against the killers.
“We demand a CBI investigation so that the criminals won’t be spared,” said Radhe Chaudhury, father of Rajedeo Ranjan, 45, who was gunned down by unidentified persons on Friday night.
Bureau chief of dailyRajdeo Ranjan, bureau chief of Hindustan , a Hindi daily, was to celebrate his 17th wedding anniversary on Saturday. He was cremated at Hakam village in Siwan.
Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party met the family in Siwan. “We believe that only the CBI can work out the case,” said Sushil Kumar Modi. “The perpetrators can be some powerful persons in jail, and the government lacks the courage to act against them,” he said.
Ram Vials Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, both allies of the BJP, demanded President’s Rule in the State, arguing that crime had gone beyond the control of the Nitish Kumar government.
Lalu Prasad, leader of the RJD, an ally of Mr. Nitish Kumar, also condemned the murder. Siwan Superintendent of Police Saurabh Kumar Das told The Hindu that professional killers could have committed the murder with sophisticated weapons. “We’ve arrested two persons and are interrogating them,” he said.
Protest by journalistsJournalists have condemned the killing and demanded the immediate arrest of the killers. “We demand security for journalists in Bihar and the immediate arrest of those behind the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan,” said Nivedita Jha, president of the South Asian Women in Media. The organisation will take out a protest march on Sunday.
Committee to Protect Journalists, a U.S.-based media watchdog, and the Press Council of India have demanded a law to ensure the safety of journalists.
