TV CHANNEL REPORTER’S BODY FOUND IN POND IN EAST CHAMPARAN

BETTIAH: Police recovered the body of a TV news channel’s reporter from a pond at a village in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Tuesday, three days after he went missing.

Santosh Kumar, subdivisional police officer (SDPO), Areraj, said the body of Manish Kumar Singh was recovered from the pond after some villagers spotted a pair of shoes on the banks and noticed foul smell emanating from the pond at Mathlohiyar Gadditola under Harshidih police station limits of Areraj subdivision.

“The body is being sent for autopsy. Two people have been arrested and further investigation is underway,” the SDPO said, adding that the motive behind the murder was not clear yet.

The two arrested, identified as Amrendra Kumar and Asjad Alam, are also local reporters and Singh was last seen with them, police said, citing a CCTV footage.

Singh went missing on Saturday evening after which his father filed a police complaint.

Police have registered a case in which 13 people, including the two arrested local reporters, have been made named accused.

Pramod Kumar Paswan, station house officer (SHO), Harshidih police station, said search for other accused was underway.

Singh’s father Sanjay Singh, who is associated with a vernacular newspaper, said his son was murdered because of a land dispute.

“His throat was slit and he was stabbed at places on his body,” he said. Singh didn’t elaborate what the dispute was.

He also accused police of laxity.

“Despite recovery of Manish’s bag, mike and blue tooth devices from Amrendra Kumar’s house, police did not look serious to rescue him,” he said.