Guwahati, September 24 (MExN): Worried at repeated incidents of journalists’ murders across India, the Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has urged the Union government in New Delhi to formulate a national action plan for delivering earliest justices to the victims’ families. The North East India based media forum, while expressing shock over the killing of anther journalist in the country, also appealed to the media fraternity as a whole to get united on demanding safety & security measures for working journalists as early as possible. The third case of journo-murder in September itself was reported from Punjab, as senior Journalist KJ Singh, 66, along with his mother Gurcharan Kaur were found murdered in his residence at Mohali on September 23, said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria. Singh, who used to work for The Tribune, The Indian Express and The Times of India in Chandigarh, was found with his throat slit. KJ Singh becomes the eighth journalists murdered in India this year. India lost six journalists to assailants in 2016, which was preceded by five cases in 2015. The populous country witnessed murders of only two scribes in 2014, but the year 2013 reported as many as 11 journalists’ murders, where three north eastern media employees also fell victims to the perpetrators, it added. “We appeal to the Punjab authority to probe into the murders of Singh & his mother with all sincerity so that the culprits cannot escape the punishments. We also extend moral supports to the agitating media-persons in Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh demanding justice to the senior editor-journalist,” JFA stated.
