Journalist killed in Maharashtra

A journalist was killed and two other people were critically injured when they were attacked shortly after covering a raid on a ladies bar on Friday, police said.

The body of Raghavendra Dube, an editor with a local newsweekly, was found a short distance away from the White House Bar in Mira Road town, a suburb of Mumbai.

Police said journalists Shashi Sharma, Anil Nautiyal and Santosh Mishra had gone to the bar to cover the raid but were allegedly attacked by some unidentified people.

On hearing about the raid and assault on his professional colleagues, Dube reached the spot around 3 a.m. on Friday and later went to Mira Road police station where a large number of bar owners and their staffers were present.

It was not clear what transpired there, but he left the police station around 4.30 a.m. and an hour later his body was recovered a short distance away.

According to police, Dube was attacked with iron rods and other weapons and sustained severe injuries on the head and body.

His body has been sent for an autopsy.

Superintendent of Police, Thane (Rural), Rajesh Pradhan told media persons that at least six people were detained in connection with the incidents.

The incident came a day after some print and television journalists were abused and manhandled by a group of hoodlums when they went to cover a gas cylinder blast in suburban Mumbai which killed four members of a family.

Meanwhile, delegation of Mumbai journalists called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded that the attackers in these cases must be dealt with seriously and booked under non-bailable sections.