A 54-year-old journalist was brutally hacked to death by unidentified assailants near a hotel in Prayagraj on Thursday evening, 23 October, police said.

The victim, identified as Laxmi Narayan Singh, also known as Pappu, succumbed to his injuries shortly after the attack. Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Manish Shandilya confirmed that Singh, who worked as a journalist, was found grievously injured and later died during treatment.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Pushkar Verma, the attackers used a sharp-edged weapon in the assault.

Singh was rushed to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in a critical state, where doctors declared him dead.

Police sources said that Singh was the nephew of Ashok Singh, a former president of the High Court Bar Association.

Teams from multiple police units are now analysing CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify the culprits. “Efforts are underway to trace and arrest those involved,” Verma said, adding that an investigation has been launched to ascertain the motive behind the attack.

With PTI inputs