Late in the evening, Meghajit, chief correspondent in Imphal for the television production company Northeast Vision, was found dead, blindfolded with his hands tied. He had been beaten with bamboo sticks and shot in the head, according to local journalists. Imphal is the capital of Manipur State, in India’s conflict-ridden Northeast region.
The local newspaper Manipur Mail reported that two men had summoned Meghajit at his home around 8:30 p.m. No group has claimed responsibility for the murder.
Local journalists said they do not know what might have motivated the killing. Meghajit was the chief correspondent in charge of filming in Manipur for Northeast Vision, which provides footage for channels including Imphal Cable Television and the national network Doordarshan. However, colleagues at the Manipur Electronic Media Journalists Union, of which Meghajit was vice president, said his work had not been particularly controversial.
Meghajit was also a dealer in semiprecious stones, and some journalists speculate that he was killed in connection with this business.