Indian journalist burned alive for posting allegations against minister

According to details, the journalist identified as Jagendra Singh has named politician Ram Murti Verma, a Legislative Assembly member of Uttar Pradesh, in the police report.

He was doused with petrol and then set alight. He succumbed to his injuries at a medical facility.

Meanwhile, Police claimed that Singh had committed suicide.

The authorities also stated that a case was going on against the journalist. They stated that he committed suicide when the law enforcement agencies tried to arrest him.

The deceased used to run a local online newspaper in the town and published short stories in the Hindi language on Facebook.

He had two accounts on the social media. One of the Facebook account was running by his own name while the other was titled Shahjahanpur Samachar which is Hindi for Shahjahanpur News.

That account had more than 1,500 followers and 5,000 friends, while his personal page had almost 3,000 friends.

Jitendra Singh accused Mr Verma of seizing valuable land along with illegal mining and forced occupation of property.

The family of the journalist told an Indian news agency that the officer, given the responsibility of arresting the journalist, had burned him alive.

The politician and the accused persons have not been arrested as yet.