A 45-year-old man Hemant Kumar Yadav was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants at Dheena police station area in Chandauli late Saturday night, in the third such incident in four months in the state.

Yadav, who worked with a news channel, sustained two bullet injuries on the chest. He was rushed to district hospital where doctors declared him “dead on arrival”.

Circle officer, Chandauli, Shyam Dev Bind said there are no eye-witnesses to the incident. No arrests have been made yet.

Yadav was a resident of Ekona village under Dhanapur police station. He is survived by his wife and two children, aged five and nine months, respectively.

As per the police, he was on way back home on his motorcycle from Kamalpur market Sunday evening when two bike-borne men confronted him. After minor arguments, the duo shot at Hemant and escaped, the CO added.

On hearing the gunshots, some locals rushed to the spot and later informed the police.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and following a complaint by the wife of the deceased, an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons at Chandauli police station, a senior police official said.

Three special police teams have been formed to investigate the case, the official added.

This is the third incident of a journalist being killed in state in four months.

In June, journalist Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire during a police raid at his house in Shahjahanpur. An FIR was registered against six persons including a UP minister, who was said to be angry over Singh’s Facebook posts about his illegal mining activities and land grabbing.

In another incident, a part-time reporter for a local Hindi daily in Bareilly district, Sanjay Pathak, was allegedly killed by two persons in August. Police said Pathak (42) was hit several times on the head with some heavy object and might have died of excessive bleeding.

Another local journalist was attacked and nearly killed allegedly by the mining mafia in Chitrakoot district a few months back.

Before that another journalist was dragged on the road by goons after tying him to a motor bike in Pilibhit district.

(With PTI inputs)

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