In a second such incident in Chhattisgarh, a journalist was shot dead by two masked gunmen in Raipur district, police said on Monday. Umesh Rajput, a reporter with Hindi daily Nai Duniya, was shot on Sunday night by the assailants outside his residence in Chura village, they said.
The masked duo, then, fled on a motorcycle from the spot.
Rajput was taken to a hospital by his family members and a colleague where he was declared brought dead, they said.
A note, stating "Khabar chaapna band nahi karoge toh mare jaoge" (If you don't stop publishing news, you will die), was found near the crime scene.
"Last night, two unidentified men called Rajput from outside his house. When he came out, they shot him with country-made pistols," SP (Gariyaband district) Kamalochan Kashyap said over the phone.
Police are interrogating a woman health worker as the deceased had earlier complained that she had threatened to kill him and filed a case against her.
Resident Editor of 'Nai Duniya' in Raipur, Ravi Bhoi said, "If somebody has a grievance against a particular news, there are many forums where it can be raised. If reporters are murdered for the news they write, then it is a matter of grave concern".
Bhoi also appealed to the Chhattisgarh government for providing greater protection of journalists.
On December 20, journalist Sushil Pathak, working with another Hindi newspaper 'Dainik Bhaskar', was murdered in Bilaspur district by unidentified gunmen.