Indian Journalists Union ( IJU) has demanded sue moto probe by the Press Council of India ( PCI) into the ghastly killing of senior freelance journalist Chandrika Rai and his entire family in the coal belt area of Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh.
In a telegram sent to the Chairman of PCI Justice Markandey Katju, S.N. Sinha and Devulapalli Amar, president and secretary general respectively of IJU, requested the former to depute a committee of the PCI on fact finding mission to Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh which may help unravel the mystery behind the ghastly crime and bring the culprits to book.
They said that it was a blot on Indian democracy that journalists who were trying to expose the illegal and corrupt practices of anti-social elements were being eliminated and the killings were increasing despite the talk of Union and State governments regarding protection for the journalists. The ghastly murder of freelance Journalist Chandrika Rai and his entire family in Madhya Pradesh is barbaric and inhuman to say the least and it merits condemnation in strongest possible terms with serve vehemence.
Reports suggesting that the senior journalist’s exposures of the illegal coal mining in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh could be the motive for the barbaric act are highly disturbing because they hint the hand of politicians in this sordid affair, the IJU leaders commented. (NSS)