Family of UP Journalist Who Died of Burns No Longer Wants CBI Inquiry

New Delhi:  The family of a journalist who died after being set on fire in Uttar Pradesh no longer wants the CBI to investigate the murder that was allegedly ordered by a state minister as revenge for the reporter’s exposes on him.

Jagendra Singh, 45, died on June 1, allegedly after he was set on fire by policemen at his home in Shahjahanpur, 175 km from the state capital of Lucknow. Mr Singh was moved to hospital where he died seven days later.

His son, Rahul, and wife, Suman, met today with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav; they were reportedly informed separately that a forensic lab has concluded that the burn injuries that killed Mr Singh were self-inflicted. The family has decided to accept the government’s offer of Rs 30 lakh and two jobs as compensation for Mr Singh’s death.

In testimony video-taped by a local magistrate in hospital just hours before Mr Singh died, the journalist accused the police of pouring kerosene on him and setting him on fire on behalf of minister Ram Murti Verma. The police has registered a case against the minister and six cops.

Just before he died, the journalist had, on Facebook, accused the minister of crimes ranging from corruption to a gang-rape. The policemen involved have claimed that Mr Singh set himself on fire when they arrived to raid his house in connection with a criminal case that was concocted against the journalist, according to his family.

A Public Interest Litigation or PIL filed in the Supreme Court has sought a CBI investigation into the case. The top court today gave the Centre and the state government two weeks to respond to the request.