Police: 2 are missing and 4 are being detained for the death of a journalist in Bihar

Police said on Saturday that four persons had been detained in connection with the murder of a journalist in the Bihar district of Araria and that two further suspects had previously been detained in connection with another case.

At 5.30 am on Friday, Vimal Kumar Yadav (40), a journalist for the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran, was fatally shot at home in the Araria neighborhood of Raniganj Bazar. The incident, which the police said was the product of “old enmity,” led to the arrest of eight persons.

In a statement released on Saturday, Araria superintendent of police (SP) Ashok Kumar Singh named the four males as Bipin Yadav, Bhawesh Yadav, Ashish Yadav, and Umesh Yadav.

at connection with another case, two further suspects named Rupesh Yadav and Kranti Yadav are being held at Supual and Araria prisons, respectively. According to the authorities, they were arrested for planning the journalist’s murder.

The SP said that “the two incarcerated accused will be taken on remand to investigate their alleged participation in the killing of the journalist.” Raids will be stepped up to capture the two remaining suspects who have fled.

Three of the detained suspects are the murdered journalist’s neighbors, Singh said.

On the basis of a complaint submitted by the father of the murdered journalist, Araria police on Friday filed a first information report (FIR) against eight individuals under sections 302 (murder), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the pertinent section of the Arms Act.

In the 2019 murder of his brother Shashi Bhushan Kumar alias Gabbu Yadav, a sarpanch of Belsara panchayat, journalist Vimal Kumar Yadav was the lone eyewitness.

Yadav’s father, Harendra Prasad Singh, informed HT that his son died while battling for his brother, who was slain in 2019, in a 2019 incident. “My son fought until the end despite repeated threats from criminals,” the parent said.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Bihar administration of maintaining “poor” peace and order in the state as a result of the occurrence.

“Neither police nor journalists are safe in Bihar. The journalist was a crucial eyewitness to his brother’s murder, and the police neglected to provide him with security, according to Samrat Chaudhary, the state BJP president.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, a prominent BJP politician and union minister, had cited the state’s “poor” law-and-order condition as the reason for the event on Friday.

The majority party, the Janata Dal (United), denied the accusations, claiming that within 24 hours after the event, the Bihar Police had detained the majority of the accused.

According to JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar, “Police arrested the accused within 24 hours… raids were conducted in jails after the victim’s family listed names of the suspects.” “Deep investigation is being conducted. That subject must also be covered by the opposition.

The occurrence was described as “unfortunate” by the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, who also expressed his sorrow over it. He has directed the police to work quickly to apprehend the suspect.