Journalist Killed; Indian Journalism On Life Support? Uttarakhand Scribe Rajeev Pratap Found Dead In Bhagirathi River

Ten days ago, 36-year-old Rajeev Pratap was a husband, father, and journalist running a news-related YouTube channel from Uttarkashi. On Sunday, his corpse was found in the Bhagirathi River. Pratap’s death has prompted his family and press freedom groups to speak out and demand a transparent investigation of the case.

Pratap ran a YouTube news channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live. He was reportedly last seen on the evening of September 18 in Uttarkashi. The next day, on September 19, copes found his car, damaged, in the Bhagirathi River near Gangori.

Despite search and rescue teams convening, no one was able to find the local scribe. Ten days later, on September 28, his body was found downstream by the Joshiyara barrage.

Reports say the cops found no external injury marks on Pratap’s body, and suspect that the local journalist got into a road accident wherein his Alto was plunged into the river.

Pratap’s family, however, is not convinced. They allege foul play. The 36-year-old’s wife, Muskan, told media that her husband had been getting threats for his reports, specifically on a local hospital. She added that he had been anxious in the week before he disappeared.

Pratap’s case has drawn national and international attention, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to issue a statement on Monday demanding that Indian authorities conduct a “credible and transparent” investigation of this case. The CPJ has asked that police not rely solely on the accident theory, especially in light of Muskan’s statement that Pratap was receiving threats related to his writing.

India is one of the most dangerous Asian countries for journalists. CPJ data shows that at least 12 journalists have been killed in India since 2017 because of their work, while many others have faced threats, harassment, or legal action. Press groups argue that Pratap’s death highlights continuing risks for reporters, particularly those investigating local governance, corruption and public services.

As of 2025, India is ranked 151 out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index. This is a slight improvement from its 2024 rank of 159. However, Reporters Sans Frontières has said in its report that the “Indian media has been in an unofficial state of emergency since 2014.”

A decade ago, India ranked 140th and has been sliding in the index since, which means that India falls in the “very serious” category on Press Freedom. Other countries in this category include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Palestine and Syria. The decline of press freedom in India has been constant for the past ten years—in 2014, India was in the 140th position.

In January 2025, the body of 33-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found in a septic tank at a property owned by contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. In 2017, prominent journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her residence in Bangalore, Karnataka. Lankesh's death occurred when the journalist was out on bail in a defamation case filed against her by BJP leaders. Her murder was linked to her questioning of Hindutva politics and its acolytes.

In March 2022, Outlook dove deep into the rise of independent journalists at a time when mainstream "legacy" media faced (and continues to face) crises of trust.

In the issue 'Notes From The Underground', Outlook spoke with independent journalists from across the country, how they changed the landscape of news and who gives it.

In 'The Invisible Newsmakers,' Mohd. Faisal writes on local journalists and how they are "yet to be recognised" even after their reports have been picked up by major media hours.

"Local journalists, whose ground reports from the boondocks often get ‘picked up’ by mainstream media, lament lack of recognition and remuneration, especially during elections," writes Faisal.

Ashutosh Bhardwaj in writes about How Independent Media Became The Newsmaker, challenging the government and legacy of mainstream media publications.

Eram Agha and Alishan Jafri write about how New Muslim Voices became prominent in news media, straying away from the majoritarian narrative surrounding the community.

To read other articles on this issue, click here.