User:Crtew/Naveen Gupta

Naveen Gupta, (ca. 1987 – November 30, 2017), a Indian journalist who was a local reporter for the Hindustan newspaper in Kanpur, India. He is most notably known for his articles on local civic issues such as, damaged roads and utility supplies, in Kanpur. He was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside his brother's shop.

Personal
Gupta was married to Kiran Gupta and had two sons. He also had a brother, Nitin, who was a witness to his murder.

Career
Gupta worked for the Hindu Daily Hindustan Times Newspaper. He had been working there for over eight years reporting on local civic issues happening in the city of Kanpur. He also wrote for other newspaper such as the Hindi-Language Swatantra Bharat and Dainik Jagran and ran a distribution agency for the Hindustan at the time of his death.

Death
Gupta was leaving his brother's garment shop to relieve himself when he was approached by two men. Gupta walked away and that is when four other men showed up and shot him. His brother Nitin was a witness to the murder and accounts his brother's last moments, "They were talking and at one point Naveen handed his phone to one of [the two men]. He then went to relieve himself and thats when about four other people shot him from across the railway line nearby.Th two people he spoke before just stood there and didn't react at all. Once Gupta was lying on the ground, one of them walked up to him to confirm whether he had died. He left with his companion immediately afterwards."

Gupta was shot in the head, face, and chest and died on his way to the hospital. (refworld)

Impact
This is the second killing of a journalist in the state in just over a month. Gupta is the fifth scribe murder in the last few months.

Reactions
In the latest word press freedom rankings, India was ranked at 136 among 180 countries. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of heinous crimes such as murder and those against women in 2016, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. The Nations seem to be on a boil with journalistic voices being silenced back to back. Gupta was not the first journalist to be shot by unidentified assailants. On the 5th of September 2017, there was a woman shot to death by unidentified men outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru. There was also a man, Rajesh Mishra, who was a stringer for Dainik Jagran, who was also shot dead in the State's Ghazipur district in October. Local media-persons and office bearers of journalists' unions held an emergency meeting and expressed serious concern over the scribe's killing and the law and order situation. Months after journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing that had outraged the entire nation, another young journalist, working for Hindi Daily was shot dead. Local media-persons and office bearers of journalists' unions held an emergency meeting and expressed serious concern over the scribe's killing and the law and order situation. In the spirit of article 1 of the Constitution of UNESCO, the director-general of the Organization issues statements on violations of press freedoms, condemning the killing of media workers, in line with its action to take forward the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the issue of impunity.