Killing of Rajdev Ranjan

Rajdev Ranjan, also known as Rajdeo Ranjan, was a 45-year-old Indian journalist working as bureau chief for the Hindi-language Hindustan Daily in Siwan, Bihar. He had worked at the paper since 1994, rising from a stringer to bureau chief, a position he held for about seven years overseeing six journalists. He was married to Asha Devi, a teacher, and had two school-aged children. He was killed on May 13, 2016, the day before his wedding anniversary.

On the evening of May 13, 2016, at approximately 8 p.m., Ranjan was near Siwan railway station, returning to his office after gathering news, when he was shot by attackers on motorbikes in the Siwan market area. He was shot between the eyes and in the neck at close range and died later at a hospital. A colleague said Ranjan had received a phone call that evening and left in a hurry, which was described as uncharacteristic of him.

Ranjan had reported at least four times on Mohammad Shahabuddin, a former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP serving a life sentence in connection with the murder of two brothers. One month before his death, Ranjan reported on a meeting in which Bihar politician Abdul Ghafoor shared a meal with the imprisoned Shahabuddin. According to Ranjan's wife, her husband's name appeared seventh on a hit list she said was made by Shahabuddin, and Ranjan had told her about earlier names on the list who had already been killed. Journalist colleagues said Ranjan had previously been threatened and held at gunpoint roughly a decade earlier. Another person allegedly on Shahabuddin's list, Rajeev Roshan, had been murdered in 2014.

Five suspects were arrested within the same month as the murder, on May 25, 2016. The Siwan police began the investigation, examining a 7.65 mm pistol, cartridges, and three motorcycles allegedly used by the assailants. Investigators believed the attackers may have been hired by Laddan Mian, described as an aide to Shahabuddin; Shahabuddin was questioned for 14 days and then released. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later took over the case, deploying a team of three inspectors, two deputy superintendents of police, and five sub-inspectors. Six suspects were identified: Azaharuddin Beig, Rohit Kumar Soni, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Kumar, Sonu Kumar Gupta, and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal; the apex court declined to grant them bail while the CBI investigation continued. Mohammad Kaif, described by police as a prime suspect, later surrendered and was taken into custody. Mohammad Javed, another person connected to the case, had not been found.

The killing drew national and international attention as a threat to press freedom in India. UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova condemned the murder and called for investigation to prevent impunity for crimes against freedom of expression. The Press Council of India's chief called for a special law to protect journalists following Ranjan's killing and the shooting of another journalist, Indradeo Yadav, in Jharkhand the day before Ranjan's death. Bihar politicians, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, visited Ranjan's family. Asha Devi sought to have the case transferred from Siwan to Delhi, expressing concern that local officials feared Shahabuddin.