Dehradun: Uttarakhand Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of journalist Rajiv Pratap, whose body was recovered from the Bhagirathi River, officials said.
Pratap went missing on the night of September 18, and his body was discovered on September 28 near the Joshiada barrage in Uttarkashi district. His damaged vehicle had been recovered from the riverbank on September 20.
Earlier, authorities had stated, citing the postmortem report, that Pratap died due to internal injuries to his chest and abdomen.
Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth said the SIT, headed by the Uttarkashi Deputy Superintendent of Police, will examine all aspects of the case, including CCTV footage, electronic evidence, call records, and statements from people last seen with the journalist. A technical evaluation of Pratap’s car will also be conducted.
Seth added that Pratap’s family had reported that he had received threatening calls. Although no formal complaint had been lodged, the SIT will investigate this aspect as well.
The DGP noted that following the journalist’s disappearance on September 19, police had launched a massive search operation with assistance from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), drones, and dog squads.
Pratap was last captured on CCTV footage driving on September 18, and his damaged vehicle was found on the riverbank two days later. An FIR for abduction was registered based on a complaint filed by his family.
According to Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobal, the postmortem report attributed Pratap’s death to internal injuries to the chest and abdomen, consistent with an accident. No external injury marks were observed.
The formation of the SIT comes following demands from opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who described Pratap’s death as “tragic” and called for an “immediate, impartial, and transparent” investigation.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated, “There should be an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation into Rajiv ji's death, and the victim's family should receive justice without delay.”
With PTI inputs