UP Journalist Death Case: Murder or Suicide?

Jagendra Singh, the UP journalist whose murder case has been all over the media for past couple of days, is now suspected to have committed suicide by immolating himself.
This progress came when the statement of Singh’s son, Ragvendra Singh, was proven wrong using his phone records and other information. While Ragvendra claims to be present when his father was burnt alive, his phone records clearly indicate he was about fifty kilometers away from that area where the incident occurred at the time in question.
Inferring from the statement of a family member of the journalist, and the initial medical reports, the following seem to be the facts of the case;
Jagendra Singh was furious at Minister Ram Murthi Verma who, according to what he told to the sole eye witness of the case, has filed a false report against him. He was so furious that he had already decided he would kill himself before the police could reach him.
On the day of the incident, the woman was present in Singh’s house when the police arrived outside. Singh, out of anxiety, started pouring petrol over himself and immolated himself. Later, he was dragged out by the police men in severely burnt condition and taken to the hospital.
The doctors in the hospital also say that the wounds and the burns indicate this was a case of self immolation.
This case was brought up for CBI investigation when an NGO, We The People, approached the court seeking the same, two days after the complaint was lodged in the local police station.
 
Author: Akshay Goel, Hidayatullah National Law University