Veteran journalist Sam Rajappa is no more

He exposed police killing of a student during Emergency

Sam Rajappa

Veteran journalist Sam Rajappa, a long-serving correspondent of the Kolkata-based newspaper Statesman, whose reporting exposed the police torture and killing of engineering student Rajan during the Emergency in Kerala, is no more. He died in Canada, and is survived by two sons.

Rajappa, a native of Marthandam in Kanniyakumari district, got himself lodged in the jail where Rajan’s friend was kept. His interview with Rajan’s friend and his reporting helped Rajan’s father Eachara Warrier get justice for the death of his son.

He had worked for other newspapers, including

The Free Press Journal ,

before joining

The Statesman . He served as a consultant when Malayalam daily

Mathrubhumi launched its Chennai edition.

Teaching stint

He was very close to C.R. Irani, Editor of

The Statesman , and also taught at The Statesman Print Journalism School in Kolkata. Rajappa also served as the correspondent of the BBC.

He was an expert in Sri Lankan Tamil affairs. His writings had upset the Sri Lankan government, which sent him out of the country once.

He was married to Grace, a Fijian, who predeceased him. Several journalists’ organisations condoled Rajappa’s death.