Social media feud turns fatal as senior journalist dies after assault by colleague in Dehradun
DEHRADUN: In a tragic turn of events, senior journalist Pankaj Mishra died following a physical altercation with a colleague stemming from a social media post. Mishra, a resident of Doon Vihar, Jakhan, in Dehradun, passed away late on Monday night, prompting police action and concern among the media fraternity. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed his condolences over the journalist's death and ordered an impartial inquiry into the incident. A post-mortem examination of Mishras body was conducted on Tuesday afternoon at Coronation Hospital in Dehradun. The sequence of events reportedly began two days prior when Mishra posted content on social media that led to a heated dispute. Although Mishra later deleted the post and issued an apology, the underlying tension persisted. Sources indicate that late on Monday night, Mishra had an argument over the phone with a fellow journalist. Shortly thereafter, two individuals reportedly arrived at Mishras rented residence in Jakhan and engaged in a physical assault. The altercation was reportedly captured on video by Mishras wife, but the assailants fled with the mobile phones of the couple. When police were informed and visited the scene, Mishra reportedly stated he would pursue formal action the following morning. Family members claim that Mishra's health deteriorated rapidly overnight. He passed away while being rushed to Doon Hospital. His wife has identified a colleague as one of the assailants. The accused journalist had hosted a wedding ceremony the previous day, which Mishra had also attended. Late on Tuesday night, his brother, Arvind Mishra, filed a complaint alleging murder, robbery, and other offences. Police have registered a case against journalist Amit Sehgal at Rajpur police station at 11:56 PM under IPC Sections 103, 304, 333, and 352. The complaint explicitly accused Sehgal and one other person of brutally beating Mishra at his Jakhan home on the night of December 15 and fleeing with the mobile phones of him and his wife. The report further states that his wife Lakshmi was also assaulted at the scene. My brother was severely beaten. He succumbed to his injuries just hours later, Arvind Mishra noted in his complaint. Police have initiated a manhunt for the accused individuals.
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