Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: Murder of a reporter of Hindi daily `Dainik Bhashkar’ Dharmendra Singh at Sasaram on November 12 morning has shocked the journalists in Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur districts. The journalists in these four districts on November 13 tied black ribbons on their arms and also brunt effigy of CM Nitish Kumar at every district headquarters to protest Dharmendra’s murder. Even activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and CPI(ML)burnt the effigy of the chief minister on Sunday.
Three motorcycle borne criminals had shot at Dharmedndra Singh, 36, son of Awadhesh Singh and Shanti Devi at Amra Talab under Muffassil Police Station, Sasaram, in Rohtas district on November 12 when he was taking tea near his house at a tea- stall. He was admitted to the Sasaram Sadar Hospital where the doctors referred him to Varanasi in a precarious condition but he succumbed to his injuries en-route Varanasi. Dharmendra was married to Rinku Devi of Ichipur in Jehanabad district and the couple has two sons.
Sources said that the conspiracy of murder of the reporter was hatched at Gaya jail. Pappu Singh, a history shitter languishing in Gaya jail, had hatched a plan to kill Dharmendra Singh and his shooter and brother-in-law (sala) Sujit Singh and two others executed the plan. Pappu Singh was sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment for kidnapping a businessman of Aurangabad.
SDPO, Sasaram, said that Dharmendra Singh had revealed the names of miscreants before his death and police lodged an FIR against them on the basis of his statement but no arrest has so far been made in this regard. He said that two of three accused were from outside the district and a SIT has been formed to inquire into the matter. The SDPO said that conspiracy to kill Dharmendra was hatched at least 15 days ago and a contract killer was hired for the purpose. Rohtas SP Manav Jeet Singh Dhillon said that police were probing the incident from different angles and hoped that the accused would be arrested soon.Dharmendra Singh was also a football player and frequently wrote against illegal stone quarrying in Rohtas district.
Meanwhile, AISA, Indian National Journalist Federation, Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh have strongly condemned the murder of the reporter and demanded of the CM to give Rs 25 lakh compensation to his next of kin. BJP MP from Buxar Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that law and order Bihar.