S,V. Pradeep, Thiruvanathapuram-based Keralite journalist who exposed the Kerala Gold Smuggling scam which led to the door of the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan died in a road accident in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, i.e. on 14.12.2020. S.V. Pradeep was travelling in his two-wheeler when he was hit by a lorry and he succumbed to his injuries soon after.

He had worked in several media houses like Media One, Manorama News, Kairali TV, Jaihind, Mangalam, News 18 etc. and was presently running an online channel. He is well-known for his unsparing criticism of the powers that be in Kerala and exposed their links to the infamous Gold Smuggling Scam. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala raised suspicions of foul play in the journalist’s death and demanded a high level inquiry in the matter. An Special Investigation Team has been set up by the Kerala government as Pradeep’s death caused a lot of uproar in Kerala. His mother has alleged that he received many threats recently. She expressed deep suspicions that the accident was pre-planned.

There is a growing demand for a CBI enquiry on the matter as people feel that the investigation by the Kerala police would not be free from bias and political interference. It is a wonder that all the self-appointed conscience keepers of journalism like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai, Saba Naqvi, Shekhar Gupta, Karan Thapar etc. are silent in the matter of sudden convenient death of a journalist who fearlessly exposed the corrupt at high places in the communist government in Kerala. There are no protest marches organized, nor are there any declarations by the Editor’s Guild saying freedom of speech and democracy is threatened in Kerala. Perhaps journalists who expose corrupt communists are not considered journalists in their dictionary and do not have a right to free speech and right to life!

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