Ghaziabad journalist attacked by goons dies

GHAZIABAD: A 35-year-old Ghaziabad-based journalist who was shot in the head in an attack in front of his two daughters on Monday succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, prompting opposition parties to criticise the Uttar Pradesh government on the law and order situation in the state.

Vikram Joshi, who made a complaint with the police alleging harassment of his niece on July 16, was attacked by a group of five-six men about 500 metres from his sister’s house in Mata Colony while he was returning home on a motorcycle along with his two minor daughters around 10.30pm on Monday, the police said. The men first assaulted Joshi and one of them, Chotu alias Shahnoor, later opened fire at him with a country-made gun.

Doctors at Nehru Nagar’s Yashoda Hospital said Joshi was admitted to the ICU and put on ventilator support. “There was hemorrhaging and blood loss due to critical gunshot wound. He also suffered a cardiac arrest and died on Wednesday,” Dr Sangeeta Garg, chief medical superintendent of Yashoda Hospital, said.

The UP government announced ₹10 lakh aid to Joshi’s family, officials said.

CCTV footage shows Vikram Joshi’s daughter next to him after he was shot at by assailants on Monday.