>Hugo999: removed Category:June 2015 events in Asia; added Category:June 2015 events in India using HotCat

2021-03-17T20:15:44Z

removed Category:June 2015 events in Asia; added Category:June 2015 events in India using HotCat

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{{ WAP assignment | course = Education Program:University of Southern Indiana/Introduction to Mass Communication (Fall 2015) | university = University of Southern Indiana | term = 2015 Q4 | project = WikiProject Journalism }}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Sandeep Kothari
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Sandeep-Kothari.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = ca. 1975
| birth_place = [[India]]
| disappeared_date = {{Disappeared date and age|2015|06|19|1975|01|01}}
| disappeared_place =
| disappeared_status = Found dead
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|06|21|1975|01|01}}
| death_place = [[Nagpur]], Maharashtra
| death_cause = [[Strangulation]] and [[Death by burning|burning]]
| body_discovered = [[Butibori]], [[Nagpur]], [[Maharashtra]]
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| monuments =
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| ethnicity = 
| citizenship =
| education =
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| occupation = [[Freelancer]] [[Investigative journalism|investigative crime journalist]]
| years_active = 10 years
| employer = ''[[Nai Dunia]]''
| organization =
| agent =
| known_for = Investigating [[land grabbing]] and [[sand mining]]
| notable_works =
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| criminal_charge = 
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| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| parents = Kanchan (mother)
| relatives = Sandhya Kothari (sister) & Navin & Rahul Kothari (brothers)
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}}
'''Sandeep Kothari''', (ca. 1975{{snd}}21 June 2015), an [[India]]n [[freelancer]] [[Investigative journalism|investigative crime journalist]] for the ''[[NaiDunia]]'', was murdered in the [[Balaghat District]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]. He was murdered as a result of exposing [[illegal mining]] and [[land grabbing]].<ref name=catchnews>{{cite web|url=http://www.catchnews.com/india-news/mining-money-and-mafia-why-journalist-sandeep-kothari-had-to-die-1434961701.html|title=Mining, money and mafia: why journalist Sandeep Kothari had to die|work=CatchNews.com|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref><ref name=IFEX>{{cite web|title=Another journalist burnt to death in India|url=https://www.ifex.org/india/2015/06/22/kothari_burnt/ |publisher=International Freedom of Expression Exchange |access-date=October 26, 2015 |date=June 22, 2015}}</ref>

== Personal ==
Before his murder, Kothari told police he had received threats.<ref name=timesofindia>{{cite news|first=Deshdeep |last=Saxena |title=Murdered MP journo was framed 19 times |publisher=[[Times of India]] |date=June 27, 2015 |access-date=September 27, 2015 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Murdered-MP-journo-was-framed-in-19-false-cases/articleshow/47838288.cms }}</ref> He was already known to police, since as a result of his controversial reporting, Kothari had a long list of over 19 false accusations on record in various police stations in his home state, including common goat theft and rape. Although he was jailed for over 16 months awaiting trial for rape, none of the cases led to a conviction.<ref name=catchnews /><ref name=timesofindia /><ref name=indianexpress>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/mp-journalist-burnt-to-death-by-mining-mafia-three-held/|title=MP journalist burnt to death by mining mafia, 3 arrested|date=21 June 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref> Both Kothari's sister Sandhya and brother Rahul begged him to stop reporting about the sand mafia as it was risking his life.<ref name=dnaindia>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-mp-scribe-killing-i-told-my-brother-leave-journalism-or-you-will-die-says-sandeep-kothari-s-sister-2097799 |title=MP scribe killing: I told my brother 'leave journalism or you will die', says Sandeep Kothari's sister|work=[[DNA India]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref><ref name=CPJ>{{cite web|title=Sandeep Kothari |url=https://cpj.org/killed/2015/sandeep-kothari.php |publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists |access-date=October 26, 2015 |date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

== Career ==
Kothari came from a business family. His father had a small convenience store, known in India as a [[kirana store]]. Kothari and his two brothers were forest contractors and shared this family business before his brothers opened an automobile repair shop and Kothari went into journalism at ''[[Deshbandhu (newspaper)|Deshbandhu]]''.<ref name=thehoot>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehoot.org/media-watch/media-practice/anatomy-of-a-journalist-s-murder-8409|title=Anatomy of a journalist's murder|work=The Hoot |date=June 27, 2015}}</ref>

Sandeep Kothari was a Hindi-language journalist since 2005. Over his career, he wrote for prominent newspapers, such as ''Nai Duniya'', ''[[Hari Bhoomi]]'' (sometimes transliterated as ''Haribhumi''), and ''Deshbandhu'' around [[Jabalpur]]. After 2012, he left ''Nai Duniya'' to freelance.<ref name=indianexpress /> He specialized in investigating illegal [[chit fund]] schemes, manganese and [[sand mining]] and [[land grabbing]] around [[Katangi]] and [[Tirodi]], and he became adept at using India's [[Right to Information Act, 2005|Right to Information]] (RTI) Act to get information about his subjects.<ref name=thehoot /> More recently, Kothari had turned to freelance work as journalist and published his own work out of [[Katangi]].<ref name=catchnews /><ref name=IFEX /><ref name=indianexpress /><ref name=time>{{cite web|url=http://time.com/3929835/indian-journalist-murders-sandeep-kothari-madhya-pradesh/|title=India: Illegal Mining Linked to Murder of Journalist Sandeep Kothari|author=Rohit Inani / New Delhi|work=[[TIME]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref><ref name=frontline>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/the-nation/death-for-daring/article7395357.ece|title=Death for daring|work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref> The police called him a "[[History-sheeter|history sheeter]]"—a term used to disparage journalism—in reference to his recent investigations around Katangi.<ref name=indianexpress />

== Death ==
{{Location map+|India|AlternativeMap =
| float = left
| position = left
| width = 250
|caption= Nagpur within India relative to the capital New Delhi.
|alt = Nagpur is located in India.
|places=
{{Location map~ | India
|lat_deg=28 |lat_min=36 |lat_sec=50 |lat_dir=N
|lon_deg=77 |lon_min=12 |lon_sec=32 |lon_dir=E
|position=top
|background=#FFFFFF
|label=New Delhi
}}
{{Location map~ | India
|lat_deg=21 |lat_min=15 |lat_sec= |lat_dir=N
|lon_deg=79 |lon_min=9 |lon_sec= |lon_dir=E
|position=bottom
|background=#FFFFFF
|label=Nagpur
}}
}}Sandeep Kothari's murderers first attacked him and his friend, who were on their way to the village of [[Umri, Madhya Pradesh|Umri]], in the [[Balaghat district]], by [[ramming]] their four-wheel [[motor vehicle]] into their bike on 19 June 2015. While his friend managed to escape, Kothari was beaten and kidnapped from the site of the wreckage.<ref name=IFEX /><ref name=IBNS>{{cite news|title=Body of Mahya Pradesh journalist who fought against illegal mining found |publisher=India Blooms News Service |date=June 22, 2015 |access-date=2015-09-27 | url=http://www.indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-details/N/11439/body-of-madhya-pradesh-journalist-who-fought-against-illegal-mining-found.html }}</ref> After the [[Kidnapping|abduction]], Kothari's friend was the one who reported to the police that Kothari was missing.<ref name=IBNS />

The men first [[strangled]] him, [[dumped]] him next to a [[railroad track]] and then burned him alive. His [[autopsy]] showed he had been alive when he was burned but also lists [[Strangling|strangulation]] as a cause of death.<ref name=autopsy>{{cite news|author=PTI|title=Madhya Pradesh journalist Sandeep Kothari was burnt to death, says autopsy report|work=[[DNA India]]|date=July 11, 2015|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-madhya-pradesh-journalist-sandeep-kothari-was-burnt-to-death-says-autopsy-report-2103765|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref>

After the murder, the [[Madhya Pradesh Police]] appointed a Special Investigation Team to look into the murder. Three arrests have been made after the murder. Taken in to custody were Brijendra Geharwar, Vishal Tandi (both from Katangi), and Rakesh Naraswani. The three suspects are alleged to have been involved with illegal mining and confessed to the [[murder]]. They had previously tried to frame Kothari on a charge of [[rape]] but were unsuccessful in court.<ref name=indianexpress /><ref name=frontline /><ref name=IBNS /><ref name=bbconarrest>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33220377|title=Arrests over India journalist murder|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Madhya-Pradesh-journalist-set-afire-and-buried-in-Maharashtra/articleshow/47756154.cms|title=Madhya Pradesh journalist set afire and buried in Maharashtra|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The accused led police to the site where they had left Kothari for dead.<ref name=ndtv1>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/journalist-refused-to-withdraw-mining-case-his-burnt-body-was-found-on-saturday-773988|title=Journalist Refused to Withdraw Mining Case. His Burnt Body Was Found on Saturday|author=Siddharth Ranjan Das|date=22 June 2015|work=[[NDTV]]}}</ref> Police found his body at [[Butibori]], [[Nagpur]], [[Maharashtra]], which is 50 km from [[Wardha]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref name=frontline /><ref name=IBNS /><ref name=ndtv2>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-journalist-murder-police-forms-special-investigation-team-774326|title=Madhya Pradesh Journalist Murder: Police Forms Special Investigation Team|date=23 June 2015|work=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>

Police received complaints that Kothari was a [[blackmail]]er, however, his family and colleagues assert that these are just more false accusations like the ones made during his final years.<ref name=thehoot />

There has not yet been a conviction in the case<ref name=pen>{{cite web|title=Sandeep Kothari, India |work=PEN America |date=June 23, 2015 |url=http://www.worldvoices.pen.org/defending-writers/sandeep-kothari|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref>

== Context ==
[[File:Loading illegally dredged sand.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Illegal sandmining operation in India.]]Kothari’s murder was connected to the local [[Illegal sand mining in Madhya Pradesh|sand mining mafia]] as he was exposing their practices. Sand mining is an illegal process of removing sand and selling it as material to a construction company. Worldwide sand mining is a $70 billion industry.<ref name=Wired>{{cite web|publisher=Wired Magazine|work=Wired|title=The Deadly Global War For Sand|date=March 26, 2013 |access-date=November 8, 2015|url= https://www.wired.com/2015/03/illegal-sand-mining/}}</ref> The activity is primarily a local operation that is set up close to construction work. India does not have enough legal sand to fill demand. However, the Indian [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission]] estimates that sand mining constitutes almost 9 percent of the nation's [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]]. While sand mining has a high profit margin for those who run it, it has environmental impacts and is therefore regulated. Sand mining companies, therefore have been known to rely on [[bribing]] government and law enforcement to work untouched.<ref name=IndiaRealTime>{{cite web|publisher=India Real Time|work=[[Wall Street Journal]]|title=Why Indian has a "Sand Mafia"|date=August 6, 2013 |access-date=November 8, 2015|url= https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/08/06/why-india-has-a-sand-mafia/}}</ref> The mining mafias in India have been implicated in hundreds of deaths, including government officials, police officers, journalists, and citizens.<ref name=Wired /><ref name=catchnews />

== Impact ==
Sandeep Kothari was targeted by the mining [[mafia]] because of his reports to expose the sand mafia and illegal mining activities.<ref name=bbcnews>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33253254|title=The perils of being an Indian journalist|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2015-11-26}}</ref><ref name=ndtv1 /> However, Kothari was not the only journalist to suffer this fate at the hands of the sand mafia. Weeks before Sandeep's murder, [[Murder of Jagendra Singh|Jagendra Singh]], a journalist from [[Shahjahanpur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], was burned 1 June 2015 and he died from the attack on 8 June.<ref name=catchnews /><ref name=time /><ref name=ndtv1 /><ref name=bbcnews /><ref>{{cite news|title=Journalist burnt alive; UP minister, cops charged|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Journalist-burnt-alive-UP-minister-cops-charged/articleshow/47607739.cms|access-date=November 26, 2015|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=June 10, 2015}}</ref> And Haider Khan, a journalist from the same area as Singh, was beaten by the sand mining mafia.<ref name=time />

== Reactions ==
[[Irina Bokova]], director-general of [[UNESCO]], has called for an investigation into the death of Sandeep Kothari and is urging authorities to bring the crime's perpetrators to trial.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web|publisher=United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization|work=[[UNESCO]]|title=Director-General deplores killing of Indian journalist Sandeep Kothari|date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=October 26, 2015|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/news-and-in-focus-articles/all-news/news/director_general_deplores_killing_of_indian_journalist_sandeep_kothari/#.Vi5MGvmrRaQ}}</ref>

The [[International Federation of Journalists]] (IFJ) said, "It is critical for the safety and independence of media in India that these incidents be investigated swiftly and transparently and with immediate steps taken to remedy the situation."<ref name=IFEX />

The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and the [[Press Council of India]] (PCI) addressed the "intolerance" directed at Indian journalists that raises their security risks, and have called on the police departments of India to investigate Kothari's murder along with the other recent.<ref name=IFEX />

==See also==
* [[Attacks on RTI activists in India]]
* [[List of journalists killed in India]]
* [[Mining scams in India]]
* [[Sumaira Abdulali]], an environmental activist

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* NDTV [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5rny1LD3sg Youtube video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kothari, Sandeep}}
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Crime in Madhya Pradesh|Murder of Sandeep Kothari]]
[[Category:Crime in Maharashtra|Murder of Sandeep Kothari]]
[[Category:Deaths from fire]]
[[Category:Deaths by strangulation]]
[[Category:Indian investigative journalists]]
[[Category:Assassinated Indian journalists]]
[[Category:June 2015 events in India]]
[[Category:2015 crimes in India]]
[[Category:2015 murders in Asia]]
[[Category:2010s murders in India]]

Murder of Sandeep Kothari - Revision history

>Hugo999: removed Category:June 2015 events in Asia; added Category:June 2015 events in India using HotCat