UP govt hands over Rs 5 lakh cheque to wife of deceased journalist

The district administration on Sunday evening handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the wife of deceased journalist Rakesh Singh, officials said.

In a statement, police said that the cheque was handed over to the family of the deceased by legislator Palturam.

The management of Balrampur Chini Mills has assured the district administration that they will provide employment to Vibha Singh, wife of the deceased journalist.

The administration will also ensure that the daughters of Rakesh Singh get free education.

The family will be provided round-the-clock security by the police, and four teams have been formed to crack the murder case of the journalist, police said.

Earlier, the wife of the journalist, who was charred to death along with his friend in a fire that broke out in his house in Balrampur district, threatened to immolate herself on Sunday if police failed to arrest the accused.

Vibha Singh, wife of the deceased journalist, on Sunday told reporters that if the police are unable to arrest the accused persons responsible for the death of her husband, she will immolate herself along with her children.

She also said police had assured her that the case will be resolved in a couple of days, but it has not happened.

Rakesh Singh, 35, working for a local newspaper, and his friend Pintu Sahu, 32, suffered serious burns in the fire at the house in Kalwari village, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma had said on Saturday.

While Sahu died on the spot, Singh suffered 90 per cent burns and was referred to a Lucknow hospital where he succumbed to the injuries, the SP said.

The father of the deceased journalist, Munna Singh, has demanded a probe suspecting that his son was murdered.

According to the police, Rakesh Singh's wife and children had gone to a relative's house two days ago following some dispute between the couple. On Friday night, there was an explosion in the house after which one of the walls collapsed and one of the rooms caught fire, police said.

The SP said investigations are on and two people have been detained for questioning.