Journalist killed in Allahabad; one accused held after encounter

A journalist was killed after being attacked with sharp weapons near Harsh Hotel in the Civil Lines area late Thursday night, police said on Friday.

The victim, identified as L N Singh, also known as Pappu, was rushed to SRN Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

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Police said the incident occurred around 10.30 pm. Following a swift investigation, a joint team arrested one of the main accused, Vishal, after an encounter near Nehru Park within two hours. Vishal sustained a leg injury during the police action and is currently undergoing treatment under custody.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Singh had an argument with a group of people a day before the incident. Another confrontation reportedly broke out on Thursday night, which turned violent.

Eyewitnesses told police that Singh had gone to GHS Road in Civil Lines for some work when an altercation erupted with a youth named Sahil. During the scuffle, Sahil and his associates allegedly attacked Singh with sharp weapons.

Singh, originally from Ballia, had been residing in Shakuntala Kunj Colony near Mundera Chungi in Dhoomanganj for several years.

His uncle, senior advocate and former Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Ashok Singh, said the victim had called him for help during the attack. Family members and police reached the spot soon after and took him to the hospital, but doctors could not save him.

Police teams, led by Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dr Ajaypal Sharma said CCTV footage helped identify the accused. Acting on a tip-off, police tracked down Vishal, who allegedly opened fire during the attempted arrest, leading to retaliatory action.

Dr Sharma confirmed that the accused is in custody and will be interrogated once his condition improves. Efforts are on to trace the other suspects and ascertain the exact motive behind the attack.