MP journalist stabbed after ‘complaint about rice miller, attackers paid Rs 30,000’

A week after a journalist was stabbed in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat, the police have arrested four of the five accused.

Balaghat SP Nagendra Singh reportedly told the media that a rice miller identified as Vishal Gangwani had given Rs 30,000 to four men to attack Milind Thakre. Gangwani was angry about complaints made by Thakre about alleged irregularities in his rice mill and wanted to teach him a lesson, Singh said on Monday. Thakre had complained to authorities about the irregularities and an inquiry against Gangwani was underway, police said.

Thakre works for local Hindi daily Rashtrabaan. He had earlier posted a video of himself in the hospital to speak about the attack and had posted a newspaper clip to indicate a threat to his life for approaching the Madhya Pradesh High Court against a former BJP minister and his brother. He claimed he had approached authorities repeatedly to request for security.

Gangwani and three alleged attackers have been arrested while the police are looking for the fifth accused. 

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