On April 10, 2025, police in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, arrested three individuals, including a temple priest, in connection with the murder of journalist Raghavendra Bajpai. The suspects are Shivananda Baba (also known as Vikas Rathore), the priest of Karedev Baba temple in Maholi; his close aide Nirmal Singh; and Aslam Ghazi.
Bajpai, a journalist with a Hindi daily, was shot dead on March 8 on the Sitapur-Delhi National Highway. Investigations revealed that Bajpai had allegedly witnessed Shivananda in a compromising situation with a minor boy inside the temple. Fearing damage to his reputation, Shivananda, with the help of Singh and Ghazi, allegedly orchestrated a contract killing to eliminate Bajpai. Two shooters were hired for the task; they remain at large, and police have announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to their arrest.
Sitapur Superintendent of Police Chakraesh Mishra stated that multiple teams were formed to investigate the case, leading to the arrests after questioning over 100 suspects and reviewing around 250 CCTV camera feeds.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists and the misuse of religious positions to conceal criminal activities.
Sources