ABP Ganga journalist found dead in UP, day after complaint to police about mafia threat

A day after he wrote to Prayagraj additional director general of police alleging that his life was in danger and requesting protection, an ABP Ganga journalist covering Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the night of June 13.

The journalist, Sulabh Srivastava, was found injured and half naked near a brick kiln on Katra road. He was taken to a hospital and declared dead.

On June 12, Srivastava had written to the police about reporting on police raids on illegal liquor factories in three areas of the district in the last couple of days. ABP Ganga's digital portal had published one of his reports on June 9.

Asking for protection, Srivastava had said he had been informed by sources that the liquor mafia was angry with him after the publication of his report and wanted to harm him or his family.

Update on June 15

The police have registered a murder case in connection with Srivastava's death, Indian Express reported, after initially calling it a prima facie case of accident.

Prior to the murder case being registered, the Editors Guild had issued a statement saying it was shocked by the "cavalier manner in which Uttar Pradesh police" was treating Srivastava's "mysterious death". "Srivastava died a couple of days after he wrote the letter to the police," the statement said. "The police is passing off his death as being caused by an accident..."