Police register FIR for murder in the death of ABP reporter in Pratapgarh

Pratapgarh:A case of murder was registered on Monday in the death of TV journalist Sulabh Srivastava, who was very active in the campaign against alcohol.

After a lot of ruckus on this matter on late Sunday night, Pratapgarh police registered a case of murder against unknown people under section 302 and 506 of the IPC at Kotwali police station.

The journalist had also sent a letter to ADG Prayagraj Zone, over apprehension of attack on him. After the post-mortem report came, the police registered a case of murder.Sulabh's wife Renuka Srivastava had alleged that her husband has been murdered. She demanded from ADG Prayagraj Prem Prakash to order a CBI inquiry into the incident. On this, the ADG assured her that he would recommend to the government to order an investigation by the CBI.

Sulabh Srivastava, a journalist working for ABP news channel in Pratapgarh, died under suspicious circumstances late on Sunday night. He was found injured on Sunday night at around 10 pm on Katra Road of Nagar Kotwali area. On the information given by passers-by, the police brought him to the Government Medical College Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. Srivastava was 45 years old, and a resident of Station Road. He had bruises on his face. Sulabh's family members suspected murder but they have not taken any names yet.After the death, ADG Prayagraj Zone along with ADG Prem Prakash, DM and SP Pratapgarh reached his residence. All of them spoke to Sulabh Srivastava's wife.

A day earlier, Sulabh had sent a complaint letter to ADG Prayagraj Zone Prem Prakash, apprehending threat to his life and his family. In this letter, he wrote that in the past, he had covered the incident of arrest of illegal liquor in different police station areas of Pratapgarh district. After this, a news was also run on the digital platform of the news channel on June 9. Some people had told him that the liquor mafia are angry with him about that news.

He also said in the letter that for the past two days he suspected that he was being followed whenever he came out of the house, as if someone is following him. In such a situation, he said that he felt that that the liquor mafia, who is unhappy with his news, may harm him or his family. His family was also scared, he had writted.

Journalist Sulabh Srivastava's wife Renuka said that her husband was very upset for past three days. He was quite restless because of the news going against the liquor mafia and looks like he had received lot of threats.Demanding justice Renuka said that she has two small children, to look after all by herself.

In the case of journalist Sulabh Srivastava's death, Pratapgarh MP Sangam Lal Gupta of BJP has written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding a fair investigation into the matter. He has mentioned about the liquor mafia in the letter. The MP said that he is distressed and hurt by the murder of Sulabh.Initially the police had said that prima facie Sulabh Srivastava died due to accident.

SP Dhawal Jaiswal, in-charge of Pratapgarh, said that in the preliminary investigation, it has come to the fore that the deceased were victims of the accident. Eyewitnesses have also told the same thing. Investigation is being done. Additional Superintendent of Police East Surendra Dwived said that during the investigation at the 'accident' spot, it has been found that Sulabh's bike collided with a pole and a hand pump on the side of the road. The workers of the brick kiln had informed the family members by phone after placing them on the side of the road. At present, every aspect is being investigated.

Meanwhile, Congress's national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also taken a dig at the UP government over the death of a journalist in Pratapgarh. Now it seems liquor mafias have full control on the government, she said.(UNI)