A Jaipur based video journalist, Abhishek Soni, has died after being mercilessly assaulted for trying to prevent his female colleague from harassment on the road. He was 27.
As per reports, the incident took place on December 8 when Soni was at a local eatery along with his colleague. Some of the men began harassing the woman, to which Soni put up a resistance. This led to an altercation and soon Soni was brutally attacked with batons and iron rods by the three accused men.
Soni suffered grievous injuries and was left writhing in pain at the roadside. Several passersby crossed him but did not help. He was taken to the SMS hospital in an ambulance where he passed away at the trauma centre late on Wednesday night.
Police recorded the woman's statement and registered a case under Sections 323, 341, 354a and 307. After Soni's death, Section 302 (murder) has also been added to the FIR.
So far, only one of the three accused has been arrested. The remaining two are currently absconding. The arrested accused has been identified as Shankar Choudhary on the basis of CCTV footage. Two of the other accused who are currently absconding have been identified as Kanaram Jat and Surender Jat.
Meanwhile BJP, the principal opposition party in the state, has led the call to protect journalists in Rajasthan after recent incidents of attacks on media persons.
"Law and order has been destroyed in the past two years of Ashok Gehlot rule in the state. Guards of democracy and corona warrior journalists are also not safe here. The death of Abhishek Soni in an attack by goons in Jaipur and injury of Girdhari Paliwal is the height of insensitivity of the government," said Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia.
