Delhi, Sept 30 (V7N) – The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media safety and rights organization, has expressed deep concern over the mysterious death of journalist Rajeev Pratap Singh in Uttarakhand, India, and called for an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise.

Rajeev, 36, went missing on 18 September and was later found dead on 28 September. His body was recovered from the Joshiyara hydroelectric barrage on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarkashi district. Preliminary reports suggest that his car veered off the road and plunged into the river, though colleagues and family members have raised questions, citing earlier threats he allegedly received for his reporting.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi, Rajeev ran a digital news platform titled Delhi Uttarakhand Live, focusing primarily on local and regional issues.

“We demand an authentic probe to identify the probable culprits involved in the incident that caused the death of Rajeev Pratap Singh and to ensure they are punished under the law. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami should take personal interest in the case, as the scribe reportedly received multiple threats from various sources for his reports,” said PEC President Blaise Lempen in Geneva.

Earlier this month, PEC also urged the interim government of Nepal, led by Sushila Karki, to launch an impartial probe into the violence against journalists during the 8–9 September unrest that left over 70 people dead, including 55 protesting youths, and injured more than 1,500. Media organizations such as the Kantipur Media Group and Annapurna Media Network were targeted, and at least five journalists—Shyam Shrestha, Dipendra Dhungana, Umesh Karki, Barsha Shaha, and Shambhu Dangal—were injured while covering the turmoil.

PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative, Nava Thakuria, reported that 136 media workers have been killed worldwide so far this year. Nepal lost journalist Suresh Rajak during a pro-monarchy protest in Kathmandu, while India has witnessed the killings of Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey, Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, and Chintakayalu Naresh Kumar since January. At least four journalists—Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin, Bibhuranjan Sarkar, Anwar Hossain, and Khandaker Shah Alam—were killed in Bangladesh in the same period.

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