Singh, a freelancer, had been reporting extensively about the plight of an Aganwadi worker who had alleged that she had been gang-raped by then UP minister Ram Murti Verma.

On June 1, 2015, Singh was set on fire by cops and goons at his home in Shahjahanpur. With his dying breath, the scribe issued a statement blaming Verma for ordering the attack and claimed a similar attempt had been made on his life earlier in April.

The minister was booked for murder, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy following Singh's death.