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Photos| When ink draws blood: Journalists and writers slain for speaking out

The recent killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh has raised questions about the safety of writers and journalists in the country. In the latest World Press Freedom Index released in April India has slipped to 136th position among 180 countries.

Updated on: Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM IST

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The recent death of senior journalist - activist, Gauri Lankesh adds a notch to the string of fatal attacks on rationalists, writers and journalists in India. A 2015 report said India is Asia’s deadliest country for media personnel, ahead of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Burhaan Kinu / HT PHOTO)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

The recent death of senior journalist - activist, Gauri Lankesh adds a notch to the string of fatal attacks on rationalists, writers and journalists in India. A 2015 report said India is Asia’s deadliest country for media personnel, ahead of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Burhaan Kinu / HT PHOTO)

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Veteran Leftist leader and a prominent activist and rationalist, Govind Pansare was shot dead by two unidentified persons in February 2014 when he was returning home from his morning walk in Kolhapur. He died in Mumbai on February 20. (Uday Deolekar / HT File Photo)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

Veteran Leftist leader and a prominent activist and rationalist, Govind Pansare was shot dead by two unidentified persons in February 2014 when he was returning home from his morning walk in Kolhapur. He died in Mumbai on February 20. (Uday Deolekar / HT File Photo)

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Candle light vigil seeking justice for journalists Akshay Singh, Jagendra Singh and Sandeep Kothari; who died in line of their work. Jagendra and Sandeep Kothari were brutally murdered, while Akshay Singh died in suspicious circumstances when probing the Vyapam scam. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

Candle light vigil seeking justice for journalists Akshay Singh, Jagendra Singh and Sandeep Kothari; who died in line of their work. Jagendra and Sandeep Kothari were brutally murdered, while Akshay Singh died in suspicious circumstances when probing the Vyapam scam. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo)

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The 77-year-old outspoken rationalist MM Kalburgi was killed in a manner similar to Lankesh. He fell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residence in Dharwad of Karnataka in September 2015. The incident sent shock waves across the Kannada literary world and elsewhere in Karnataka. (HT File Photo)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

The 77-year-old outspoken rationalist MM Kalburgi was killed in a manner similar to Lankesh. He fell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residence in Dharwad of Karnataka in September 2015. The incident sent shock waves across the Kannada literary world and elsewhere in Karnataka. (HT File Photo)

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Writers, readers and cultural activists participate in a silent protest against MM Kalburgi’s murder in New Delhi. Despite protests seen after every such incident India continues to be hazardous place for journalists, slipping three places in the World Press Freedom Index to 136th among 180 countries. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

Writers, readers and cultural activists participate in a silent protest against MM Kalburgi’s murder in New Delhi. Despite protests seen after every such incident India continues to be hazardous place for journalists, slipping three places in the World Press Freedom Index to 136th among 180 countries. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

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On August 20, 2013, Narendra Dabholkar, a prominent anti-superstition crusader, was gunned down by two bike-borne men during his morning walk in Pune. According to a CBI charge sheet filed in September last year, Akolkar and Pawar, two members of the right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha, shot down the rationalist. In June 2014, the case was handed over to the CBI after the Pune police failed to make any headway. (AP)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

On August 20, 2013, Narendra Dabholkar, a prominent anti-superstition crusader, was gunned down by two bike-borne men during his morning walk in Pune. According to a CBI charge sheet filed in September last year, Akolkar and Pawar, two members of the right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha, shot down the rationalist. In June 2014, the case was handed over to the CBI after the Pune police failed to make any headway. (AP)

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Ranjan Rajdeo, a journalist with Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot from close range by assailants on a motorcycle in May last year. The crime came a day after a Hindi television journalist; Akhilesh Pratap was shot dead in Jharkhand. (Saumya Khandelwal / HT Photo)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

Ranjan Rajdeo, a journalist with Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot from close range by assailants on a motorcycle in May last year. The crime came a day after a Hindi television journalist; Akhilesh Pratap was shot dead in Jharkhand. (Saumya Khandelwal / HT Photo)

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People participated in a protest called ‘Not In My Name’ at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. She was shot dead at her residence on Tuesday, was a vocal opponent of right-wing excess and was present at the forefront of protests denouncing them in Karnataka. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Sep 07, 2017 6:53 PM

People participated in a protest called ‘Not In My Name’ at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. She was shot dead at her residence on Tuesday, was a vocal opponent of right-wing excess and was present at the forefront of protests denouncing them in Karnataka. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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