In Bihar, Dainik Bhaskar scribe shot dead, hunt for assailants underway

Dharmendra Singh, a journalist with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Rohtas in wee hours on Saturday.

Singh was standing at a tea stall near his house early in morning when three bike-borne assailants opened fire on him, peppering his chest with bullets.

The incident took place near Amra Lake in the Mufassil police station area.

Locals immediately rushed him Singh to the Sadar Hospital in Sasaram, where he received primary treatment and was referred to Varanasi. However, Singh succumbed to injuries on his way to Varanasi.

A case has been registered and the police is investigating to nab the assailants.

Earlier in October this year, a local television journalist was allegedly shot dead by motorcycle-borne miscreants in Dheena area in Uttar Pradesh, making it the third such incident in four months.

Hemant Yadav (45) worked with a news channel was shot by bike-borne miscreants, Superintendent of police Amit Verma said. In June, journalist Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire during a police raid at his house in Shahjahanpur. His family alleged that the police officials set him on fire. Singh, who was in his 50s, succumbed to injuries on June 8.

An FIR was registered against six persons including a UP minister, who was said to be angry over Singh's Facebook posts about his illegal mining activities and land grabbing.

In another incident, two persons in Bareilly district, allegedly killed a part-time reporter from a local Hindi daily Sanjay Pathak, in August.

Police said Pathak (42) was hit several times on the head with some heavy object and might have died of excessive bleeding.