Rajdev Ranjan, the Siwan bureau chief for Hindi national daily newspaper Hindustan, was shot in the central Indian state of Bihar at close range as he was returning to his office, according to press reports. The journalist, also identified as Rajdeo Ranjan in press reports, was hit by bullets in the head and the chest, killing him, according to local media.
In June 2016, police investigating the shooting arrested five suspects, who named Laddan Mian as the man who hired them to commit the murder, reports said. Mian, whom news reports identified as having political connections, voluntarily appeared before a court on June 2, 2016, and denied involvement in the killing, news reports said.
On August 30, 2025, a special court in Muzaffarpur, overseen by the Central Bureau of Investigation, dismissed murder charges against Mian, Rajesh Kumar, and Rishu Kumar due to a lack of evidence.
The court found the other co-accused — Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta, and Rohit Kumar Soni — guilty of murder. On September 10, 2025, the court sentenced the three men to life imprisonment.
The journalist’s widow, Asha Devi, believes Ranjan was killed in retribution for his critical reporting on a lawmaker who is currently serving prison time for dozens of charges, including murder, illegal possession of firearms, and voter-intimidation, according to news reports. In March 2016, Ranjan had broken news about a prison meeting between the former lawmaker and another local official, who shared a “feast,” reports said. Local journalists said Ranjan had been receiving death threats from criminals before his death, news accounts said.
Devi told CPJ in August 2025 the family feared harassment following the acquittals. She expressed shock and disappointment over the verdict and questioned the dismissal of charges against Mian, saying there was credible evidence against him. She said she planned to challenge the acquittals in a higher court.
CPJ could not immediately reach a legal representative for Mian.