Freedom of press is in peril. Rajdeo Ranjan's murder is proof

In the line of duty

Rajdeo tirelessly exposed the nexus between politicians and the mafia. Only recently, he prominently covered the meeting between RJD's minister Abdul Gafur and the jailed gangster-turned-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin in Siwan Jail.

Gafur tried to play down the meeting as a "courtesy visit". But the media, taking a cue from Rajdeo, and the opposition asked why a minister would extend "courtesy" to a notorious gangster who is serving a life sentence for murder. The controversy snowballed to the extent that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had to transfer the superintendent of Siwan Jail.

Also read- Don's den: Shahabuddin may still rule Siwan, no matter who wins

It was but one of Rajdeo's newsbreaks that made headlines nationally. Most of these reports exposed the politician-criminal nexus, which offended many powerful people no end. In 2005, some goons had manhandled Rajdeo and his colleagues. But, according to his colleagues, he took it in his stride as a routine work hazard, and did not lodge a police complaint.

I knew Rajdeo as an upright journalist, and a polite, warm person. He had a measure of Siwan's pulse like no other reporter I know. Not many people are left in the fourth estate who are as jovial, honest and committed to the values of journalism as Rajdeo.

Rajdeo has left behind his wife and two children, a son and a daughter. His wife does a small-time job that hardly pays enough to raise the children. The family needs support from the state as well as the central government.

Initial investigations suggest the men detained in connection with Rajdeo's murder are part of Shahabuddin's gang. The probe is still on, and the police have raided several locations.

Politically, Rajdeo's murder has rung alarm bells for Nitish. Shahabuddin's association with Lalu Prasad is no secret. The gangster's wife Heena Shahab was fielded by Lalu as the RJD candidate from Siwan in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. She, however, lost to BJP's Om Prakash Yadav.

Five months ago, Om Prakash's press secretary Shrikant Bharti was gunned down. Rajdeo had followed the story with zeal. Indeed, it was his and other local reporters' coverage of the murder that had pressured the police to arrest the main accused, Upendra Singh. The RJD leader, who was recently freed on bail, has now been detained in connection with Rajdeo's murder. The police have not denied the possibility that two murders could be linked.

On dangerous ground

Rajdeo's murder has triggered protests in Bihar, Delhi and other parts of the country. Journalist associations as well as political parties have condemned it. In Bihar, mediapersons have increasingly expressed the fear that political patronage of criminals was making their difficult.

I know how they feel. I extensively reported on the crimes of Shahabuddin during my stint in Patna about a decade ago. Rajdeo's inputs were integral to my reportage. He always accompanied me whenever I went to report from Siwan.

Read more: 2 detained for journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's murder in Bihar

One day, Rajdeo said Shahabuddin wanted to meet me. I was not particularly keen to meet the gangster, but Rajdeo argued that Shahabuddin would blame him for not arranging the meeting. "The animosity of these people will make doing journalism difficult here," he said.

I agreed and, accompanied by the then Hindustan bureau chief, went to see Shahabuddin at the "White House", as the locals called his headquarters in Siwan. Our host was seated in a high-backed chair in a big hall. The scene resembled that of a court room. I was told Shahabuddin settled disputes among local people here. I was aghast to see this mockery of our judicial system.

Anyway, we were seated in a "VIP hall". After some time, Shahabuddin came in and asked, "What do you want to ask?" It was my first interview with the RJD strongman, and it created history as Shahabuddin lashed out at Lalu Prasad and the then police chief DP Ojha for their role in the fodder scam.

A few days later, Shahabuddin was arrested, and he has remained in Siwan Jail since. After some time, I decided to meet Shahabuddin in the jail. Rajdeo advised me against it, saying the RJD leader could incite the inmates to attack me since he believed he had been incarcerated because of the interview.

I went ahead regardless, and Rajdeo accompanied me. It was just this interview I realised how widespread Shahabuddin's crime network was.

Rajdeo's murder is another reminder of the perils journalists in small towns face every day. They are constantly under threat from local leaders, corrupt officials, contractors and criminals. The murder has reignited the debate on the necessity of a central law to protect journalists. Eliminating an honest journalist is often the easiest way for unscrupulous politicians and criminals to prevent their misdeeds from coming to light. The journalists are a soft target for such elements because they know that even a murder would be forgotten after a few days of hue and cry.

Reporters in small towns and their families are especially vulnerable as there is no mechanism for their protection. The independence of the media can't be safeguarded unless journalists feel secure doing their work. Owners of media houses, the editors guild and the press council must address this on priority. The debate over press freedom will be an exercise in futility unless and until journalists across the country get an assurance of safety and security.

Edited by Mehraj D. Lone

More in Catch:

Narendra Modi's Republic of Fear

These women aren't just rocking Cannes, but taking on fashion fundamentalists

Festering sore: new domicile policy turns Jharkhand into a tinderbox

India has worse polluted cities than Delhi, and you probably wouldn't know