Journalist Pankaj Mishra death case takes new turn, FIR against fellow journalist

Dehradun: The mysterious death of journalist Pankaj Mishra in Uttarakhand has taken a significant new turn, with Dehradun police registering a case against his colleague, journalist Amit Sehgal, on charges of assault and culpable homicide.

The development comes amid growing dissatisfaction expressed by the victim’s family over the initial post-mortem report, prompting authorities to conduct a second autopsy by a medical board.

Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s brother, Arvind Mishra, a resident of Alambagh in Lucknow, Dehradun police have registered an FIR against Amit Sehgal under Sections 103, 304, 333 and 352 of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant has alleged that the accused deliberately assaulted Pankaj Mishra with the intent to kill.

According to the complaint, on the night of December 15, Amit Sehgal, along with another colleague, visited Pankaj Mishra’s rented house in the Jakhan area of Dehradun. During the visit, a heated argument reportedly escalated into a brutal physical assault.

Arvind Mishra alleged that Pankaj was kicked and punched repeatedly, particularly on the chest and abdomen, resulting in severe internal injuries and bleeding from the mouth. It has also been alleged that during the assault, Amit Sehgal took away Pankaj Mishra’s mobile phone.

The situation worsened the following morning, December 16, when Pankaj Mishra’s health deteriorated rapidly. He reportedly became unconscious and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. While an initial post-mortem examination was conducted, the family expressed serious doubts over its findings and demanded a more thorough investigation.

Responding to the family’s objections, authorities constituted a panel of doctors and conducted a second post-mortem examination on Tuesday. Police officials stated that the final cause of death will be determined based on the medical board’s report, which is awaited.

Investigators have also revealed that the incident may have been triggered by a controversy surrounding a Facebook post. Reports suggest that a post shared from Pankaj Mishra’s account led to a dispute between him and his colleagues, eventually escalating into a physical confrontation.

However, Pankaj had reportedly apologised and deleted the post, later claiming that he had not made it himself and that a friend had accessed his mobile phone and posted it using his Facebook account.

Adding to the allegations, Pankaj Mishra’s wife stated that her husband had attended a wedding ceremony at Amit Sehgal’s residence just five days before his death. She has accused Sehgal and his associates of being directly responsible for her husband’s death.

Police have stated that the investigation is ongoing and that further action will be taken based on medical evidence, witness statements and forensic findings.

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