Uttarakhand Police forms SIT days after journalist’s body found near barrage

Days after the body of journalist Rajiv Pratap was found at the Joshiyara barrage in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, the police on Tuesday formed a special investigation team to look into the reasons for his death, PTI reported.

The 36-year-old journalist had gone missing on September 18. His damaged vehicle was recovered from the Bhagirathi riverbank on September 20, while his body was found near the barrage on Sunday.

Pratap’s family has suspected foul play, claiming that he had been worried about the implications of reports that he had published on his YouTube channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live.

However, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobhal told The Indian Express that his death was likely to have been due to a car accident. She said that some “internal injuries were found in the chest/abdominal region, which could have been sustained during the accident”.

Dobhal, citing the post mortem report, added that no external injury marks were found, PTI reported.

On Tuesday, Director General of Police Deepam Seth said that the special investigation team formed to probe the case would be headed by the Uttarkashi deputy superintendent of police, PTI reported.

The team will examine all aspects of the case, including CCTV footage, electronic evidence, call details and the statements of the persons last seen with the journalist, Seth said. A technical evaluation...

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