Nine people were arrested after a CCTV camera captured a journalist being assaulted and allegedly shot on a road in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad city on Monday, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.
Vikram Joshi was travelling on a motorcycle with his two daughters around 10.30 pm on Monday when a group of men attacked and then shot him, NDTV reported. The journalist suffered a head injury and is in a critical condition at a private hospital.
“Joshi’s brother informed us that he was attacked while returning from his sister’s place yesterday [Monday],” Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said. The police officer said that among the persons held is the main accused.
The FIR names three suspects – Chhotu, Akash Bihari and Ravi, The Times of India reported. Chhotu and Ravi have been arrested. The police have also taken into custody other suspects, Mohit, Dalbir, Akash, Yogendra, Abhishek, and Shaqir.
The attack took place in Vijay Nagar area of Ghaziabad. In the footage, Joshi can be seen riding a motorbike along with his daughters. Suddenly, the motorcycle swerves and a group of men surround it and start beating up the rider. Following this, the two-wheeler falls to the ground and the children flee.
While it is not clear from the video that the journalist was shot, the attackers can be seen dragging him towards a car and hitting him before fleeing. The camera footage then shows the older daughter running towards her father, screaming for help. A couple of passersby can be seen rushing towards Joshi.
The police suspect that the attack took place after Joshi complained to the police about his niece facing harassment on July 16. In the complaint, registered at the Vijay Nagar Police Station just before he was attacked, Joshi has named Chhotu, Ravi and Akash, his family said. The FIR into the alleged harassment said that the three accused had threatened to murder the journalist.
Priyanka Gandhi attacks Uttar Pradesh government
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi attacked the Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, saying that the common man cannot feel safe in the state’s “jungle raj”.
“Ghaziabad falls in NCR [National Capital Region],” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi. “Going by the state of law and order here, one can get an idea of the situation in the entire state of UP. A journalist was shot at because he complained to the police against molestation of his niece. How will common man feel safe in such a jungle raj.”
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