STF to probe Madhya Pradesh journalist and family's murder

Bhopal, Feb.20 (ANI): The Madhya Pradesh Government on Monday announced that a Special Task Force (STF) would probe the murder of journalist Chandrika Rai and his family members in Umaria.

The state's Director-General of Police (DGP) S.K. Raut said on Monday after visiting the town to offer the government's condolences to family members that police were pursuing differen lines of investigations in a bid to capture the criminals involved in the shocking crime.

Chandrika Rai, his wife Durga Rai, son Jalaj and daughter Nisha were found lying in pools of blood in different rooms of the family's house on Sunday.

Rai worked as a freelancer for the 'Navbharat Times' and 'The Hitavada', while his wife was a member of the local Janpad or people's council.

The police said the murders could be connected to the kidnapping of another child two days ago, and revealed that the house was locked from outside the whole day on Sunday.

Finding something amiss, Rai's brother went to the house and broke the lock to find the horrific scene inside. The victims appeared to have been hit on the head by a heavy iron object.

The incident has sent shockwaves among citizens of the area who observed a shutdown in protest.

The journalist fraternity did not allow the police to take away the bodies for cremation.

Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly Ajay Singh said the scribe was actively writing against illegal mining being carried out in the area.

Demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, Singh said law and order in state was in a collapsed state. (ANI)