JOIN USUttar Pradesh journalist who was shot at in front of daughters passes away
UP journalist Vikram Joshi, who was shot at and critically wounded allegedly for lodging a complaint of harassment of his niece by some unidentified people in Ghaziabad town, near Delhi, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on Wednesday.
According to doctors, the scribe, Vikram Joshi had been shot in the head from close range.
The killing of the journo triggered widespread outrage and the opposition parties launched a scathing attack on the BJP government in the state over an alleged worsening law and order situation.
''Jungle raj prevails in the state...no one safe here,'' BSP supremo Mayawati said in a tweet demanding that the culprits be brought to the book at the earliest. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that BJP had promised 'Ram Raj' but the people got 'goonda raj'.
The family members of Joshi said that the local police, despite several complaints, did not take any action against the youths, who had been harassing the scribe's niece for the past one year.
Nine people have been arrested in this connection. A sub-inspector of the local police out post was also suspended for laxity.
Joshi was intercepted by the assailants while he was on his way home on his motorbike with his two minor daughters late on Monday night near Mata Colony and was shot at after being thrashed.
A video, which went viral on the social networking sites, showed the scribe's daughter crying and seeking help of passers by, to take their injured father to the hospital.