Uttar Pradesh scribe who expressed threat to life by ‘liquor mafia’, dies in ‘road accident’

A journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, who had written to police fearing threat to his life by the ‘liquor mafia’, died in an alleged road accident a day later on June 13 night, police said.

42 worked as the district correspondent of news channel ABP News.

While stating that prima facie,he died in a road accident, the police noted they were probing all other angles.

A murder case was lodged against unknown persons on a complaint of his wife. She suspects he was killed by the liquor mafia and the suspects tried to project it like an accident.

On June 13 night, around 10-11 p.m., Srivastava was returning to Pratapgarh from Lalganj after a news coverage when he was found injured near a brick kiln at the Katra crossing after falling from his motorcycle, said Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Surendra P. Dwivedi. Labourers working at the kiln picked him and took him to the sides. He was taken to a hospital but was declared brought dead. Prima facie, it was found that he was travelling alone and the death happened after he collided with a pole and tubewell on the side of the road. The police, however, were “probing all other angles deeply.”

In an application submitted to ADG Prayagraj, allegedly through Whatsapp, Srivastava on June 12 expressed a threat to his life by the “liquor mafia” who, he said, were unhappy with his coverage of recent unearthing of illegal liquor factories and police raids of these sites in the district. He sought security and a probe into his matter.

“Last two days, whenever I went out of my house for some work, I felt I was being followed. Based on sources and public discussion, I feel that some liquor mafia who are unhappy over my news, can cause harm to me and my family,” he wrote.

Pratapgarh SP Akash Tomar on Monday inspected the site of the incident and instructed the officials concerned to probe all angles.