The body of Rajeev Pratap, a journalist who had been missing for ten days, was recovered from the Joshiyara Barrage in Uttarkashi on Sunday, raising serious questions over the circumstances surrounding his death.

Rajeev Pratap, 36, ran a digital news platform called Delhi Uttarakhand Live, focusing on local issues. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), he had recently reported on alleged irregularities in a local hospital and school, and according to his family, began receiving death threats soon after posting the videos.

His wife, Muskan, said she last spoke to him around 11 pm on September 18, the night he went missing. “He was telling me that he was feeling anxious after his reports on a hospital and a school. He said that many people were calling him, threatening to kill him if the videos were not taken down. At 11.50, I sent a message, and it went undelivered. He was abducted by someone. I am sure he did not just fall off the road,” she said.

The next morning, his car, an Alto, was found in a severely damaged condition along the Bhagirathi River, near Gangori. The police, along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), recovered the vehicle and found one slipper inside. However, the journalist himself was not located until ten days later, when a body was spotted at the Joshiyara Barrage and later identified by family members as Rajeev Pratap.

Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobhal stated that initial evidence suggests an accident. “Prima facie, his car fell into a gorge and into the river, which had swelled during the time of the incident. We had found CCTV footage from a few minutes before the incident, showing him alone in the car,” she said. However, she added that the investigation is still ongoing, and the postmortem report will be crucial in determining the actual cause of death.

Family Alleges Foul Play in Journalist’s Death

Despite the police’s theory, the family has firmly maintained that Rajeev was targeted. They had filed a missing person report shortly after his disappearance, alleging that he had enemies due to his journalism. “Many people in the area hold enmity against him,” their written complaint stated, urging authorities to intervene urgently, fearing “something untoward may have happened.”

The discovery of his body has sparked widespread reactions, with journalists and media associations across Uttarakhand demanding clarity and justice. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed grief over the incident and has ordered a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the matter.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Janak Singh Panwar confirmed the recovery of the body from Joshiyara and reiterated that further action will depend on the postmortem findings.