Sandeep Sharma

Journalist

Madhya Pradesh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on March 29 regarding the death of Mr. Sandeep Sharma after a dumper ran over him in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district. Mr. Sharma was a journalist working for News World TV channel based in Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Sharma was riding his bike on March 26, 2018 when he was hit by a truck near Kotwali Police Station in Bhind. He died on the spot. Mr. Sharma was investigating the nexus between the sand mining mafia and the police. He had filed a story in 2017 accusing Sub Divisional Police Officer Mr. Indra Veer Singh Bhadouria of being hand-in-glove with the sand mafia. An audio conversation of the officer was aired by his channel after which he was transferred. The journalist was facing death threats from the officer he had exposed.

Mr. Sharma filed a complaint with the local police station citing threat to his life fromMr. Bhadouria after the sting operation. Mr. Sharma approached the District Superintendent of Police in November 2017 for adequate security and protection but the police failed to provide him security which could have saved his life. It is also alleged that the local police delayed in responding after the truck ran over Mr. Sharma. They arrived at the scene after 15 to 20 minutes, although the spot was just a few meters away from the Bhind police station.