MP journalists demand CBI probe into scribe murder case

Bhopal: An organisation of journalists here demanded that the state government must hand over to CBI the probe into local scribe Sandeep Kothari's murder.

 Press Freedom Forum - a body of eminent journalists in Madhya Pradesh - made this demand today during a meeting held to condole the death of Kothari, a Katangi tehsil based journalist, who was burnt to death allegedly by three persons suspected to be closely linked to sand mafia.

 Deploring the incident, members of the Forum today decided to mount pressure on the state government to seek financial help for Kothari's family and also to bring a bill in the assembly for protection of journalists.

 Expressing reservations over police investigation into the case, secretary of the Forum Pawan Deolia said, "Police are trying to portray the deceased journalist as a criminal since day one. His burnt body was found near the railway tracks in Wardha, Maharashtra on June 20, a day after he was kidnapped from Katangi tehsil."

 "The SIT, formed to investigate Kothari's death comprises those policemen, who had allegedly falsely implicated the scribe in different cases. We don't have faith in the probe, so the state government should hand it over to the CBI," he added.

 Deolia also sought Balaghat Collector V Kiran Gopal's transfer from the district "as he spoke ill of Kothari", when the journalists went to petition him following his murder.

 "The Collector dubbed him as a criminal and this shows the mindset of the executives in dealing with his case," he said.

 The burnt body of Kothari, who was abducted from Katangi tehsil in Balaghat district, was found lying near railway tracks at Sindi town in Wardha district of east Maharashtra last week.