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India journalist shot dead for reporting harassment of niece

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Journalist Vikram JoshiImage source, Richie Kumar
Image caption,

Vikram Joshi, 35, died on Wednesday - two days after he was shot

An Indian journalist has died after he was shot in the head by the men he had accused of harassing his niece, police say.

Vikram Joshi, 35, died on Wednesday - two days after he was shot in Uttar Pradesh state's Ghaziabad district.

Police have arrested nine men in connection with the attack.

His brother told the media that the police failed to investigate Joshi's complaint and that allowed the men to plan the "revenge attack".

The district police chief has suspended two officers and ordered an inquiry.

The attack, which was caught on CCTV cameras, has sparked outrage among Vikram Joshi's colleagues and journalists across the country.

The footage, which has been widely shared, shows a group of men forcibly stopping his motorbike and then beating him up before firing at him. His two daughters, aged 5 and 11, were with him.

After the attack, his elder daughter can be seen sitting beside him, even as cars and people pass by.

Journalists and opposition politicians, including former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, have tweeted, questioning the state of law and order in Uttar Pradesh.

Image source, ANI/Twitter
Image caption,

The attack, which was caught on CCTV cameras, has sparked outrage among Joshi's colleagues and locals.

"People are in shock after this incident. The government needs to answer why criminals are allowed to blatantly flout law and order in the state," Mr Yadav tweeted.

Several journalists gathered at the hospital and protested, demanding compensation for the murdered man's family, local media reported.

The government has accepted the demand and also promised a job for one of his family members.