Death of Uttarkashi Journalist Rajeev Pratap Sparks Demands for Fair Probe, Raises Alarms on Media Safety

The recent finding of the body of Rajeev Pratap in the Bhagirathi River of Uttarkashi has once again sparked a debate over journalist safety  in Uttarakhand and the whole of India. Pratap, aged 36, was a well-known digital journalist and founder of the YouTube channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live. On September 18, 2025, he disappeared, and was discovered dead on the Joshiyara barrage on September 28, ten days later, which caused outrage and suspicion in the media fraternity and among citizens.

 

What Happened? 

Pratap, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and a reputable columnist in local news, was reportedly threatened several times after he published investigative reports on the corruption and abnormalities in local institutions, such as hospitals and schools. Police officials claimed that his friend had a mangled Alto car that was discovered in the Bhagirathi River a day after he disappeared. CCTV video footage showed that Pratap was alone in the car before what occurred. Investigators suggest that his vehicle may have plunged off the Gangotri highway into the river, a theory currently supported by internal injuries observed in the postmortem report.

 

What did the Family and Police Say? 

The family of Pratap however denies the story of accidents with high intensity as they assert that threats associated with his journalism contributed to his disappearance and subsequent death. His wife, Muskan, has come out publicly to verify that Pratap feared and was anxious about recurrent threats to delete critical videos off his channel. The family has already filed a complaint on the issue of abduction and they insist that there is no way the strange events could have been due to mere accident.

 

Following growing pressure by the population, press organizations, and anti-establishment activists, Uttarakhand Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Uttarkashi, to investigate all the angles such as the threats, witness testimonies and technical examination of the vehicle. Law enforcement has promised a clear and in-depth investigation, and the postmortem and additional forensics reports are awaited.

 

Reactions and Media Safety Concerns

The event has given shockwaves on the media fraternity of India, as there is a consistent trend of increasing fear and violence against journalists who write about corruption in the country and other sensitive topics. International media freedom organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), have called on an independent investigation and called not to prejudgmentally close the case as accidental without exhaustively investigating all leads of threats made to Pratap.

 

Locals, activists and opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi have demanded immediate reforms to safeguard journalists on the ground that honest reporting must not be achieved at the expense of press freedom or personal safety. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has assured to provide total cooperation to honest investigation.

 

The tragic death of Rajeev Pratap underscores the danger faced by  journalists who are willing to confront power by telling the truth in the small towns and districts in India. The resolution of the current SIT probe will not only define justice to Pratap and closure to his family, but also the future of independent reporting in the area.