A journalist working with a Hindi news channel was on Monday night shot dead in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh over a property dispute, police said. He has been identified as Ratan Singh (45). "A journalist working with a Hindi news channel was shot dead on Monday night in Phephana. He has been identified as Ratan Singh (45)," Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Yadav said.
According to the police, the journalist was involved in a property dispute with his neighbor and village head. The shooting was preceded by an argument over a disputed piece of land between the two sides. ‘Although the deceased was a journalist the incident does not involve anything related to journalism. It is completely about the land dispute between the two parties,’ Subhash Chandra Dubey, DIG Azamgarh said. Reports suggest that cross FIRs had been registered by the two families against each other in 2019 as well, but that matter was reportedly settled later.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased Ratan Singh. He has expressed deepest condolences and also directed firm action against the accused. Additional Chief Secretary Home Avanish Awasthi said that the murder was a result of a dispute with the scribe's neighbour Dinesh Singh. He said that the four accused -- Arvind Singh, Dinesh Singh, Sunil Singh and Moti Singh -- have been arrested.
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Earlier, on Monday morning, the village head had called the two groups for a settlement, but they attacked each other with heavy sticks. Ballia Superintendent of Police Devendra Nath has sent the Station Officer of the Phephna police station to the lines for dereliction of duty.