A journalist investigating illegal links between the police and the sand mafia in Madhya Pradesh was run over by a truck in the Bhind district, this morning. The journalist, identified as Sandeep Sharma was working for a national news channel and had even filed a complaint with the cops alleging that there was a threat to his life from a police officer, reports The Times of India.
#WATCH:Chilling CCTV footage of moment when Journalist Sandeep Sharma was run over by a truck in Bhind. He had been reporting on the sand mafia and had earlier complained to Police about threat to his life. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/LZxNuTLyap
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2018
Sandeep had filed a story where he accused a police officer of being involved with the sand mafia. Sources speaking to TOI said that an audio conversation of the alleged officer was aired by his channel, following which the officer was transferred.
Police have formed an SIT team after Journalist Sandeep Sharma, who had been reporting on Sand Mafia, was run over by a truck in Bhind. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/UtXpyQ3ARy
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2018
Sandeep was on a motorcycle when a truck behind him veered towards him and crushed him instantly. Video footage acquired by news agencies have raised speculations that the journalist was possibly murdered as the truck’s movement looks suspicious.
The incident occurred close to the Kotwali police station around 9 am. Sandeep was hit by a truck from behind, killing him on the spot. Police are in search of the driver. They allegedly arrived about 20 minutes after the incident, despite it happening a few meters away from the police station.
Last week, two journalists were killed in Bihar after being run over by a village council head and his men.