Days after the body of journalist Rajiv Pratap was found at the Joshiyara barrage in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, the police on Tuesday formed a special investigation team to look into the reasons for his death, PTI reported.

The 36-year-old journalist had gone missing on September 18. His damaged vehicle was recovered from the Bhagirathi riverbank on September 20, while his body was found near the barrage on Sunday.

Pratap’s family has suspected foul play, claiming that he had been worried about the implications of reports that he had published on his YouTube channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live.

However, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Sarita Dobhal told The Indian Express that his death was likely to have been due to a car accident. She said that some “internal injuries were found in the chest/abdominal region, which could have been sustained during the accident”.

Dobhal, citing the post mortem report, added that no external injury marks were found, PTI reported.

On Tuesday, Director General of Police Deepam Seth said that the special investigation team formed to probe the case would be headed by the Uttarkashi deputy superintendent of police, PTI reported.

The team will examine all aspects of the case, including CCTV footage, electronic evidence, call details and the statements of the persons last seen with the journalist, Seth said. A technical evaluation of Pratap’s car would also be conducted.

The director general of police said that Pratap’s family earlier reported that he had been receiving threatening phone calls, PTI reported. However, no complaint has been lodged in connection with this, he said.

As per CCTV footage, Pratap was last seen driving on September 18, Seth said. The damaged car was found on the river bank two days later. A first information report was registered a day later based on the complaint filed by the journalist’s family, he added.

Upon receiving information about Pratap’s disappearance on September 19, the police, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force, launched a search, Seth said.

Meanwhile, Pratap’s uncle, Kirpal Singh, told The Indian Express that he had been anxious about his reporting on local issues.

“However, we do not know who would try to kill him,” the newspaper quoted Singh as saying. “If only his phone is recovered, we will get answers.”

Pratap’s wife, Muskan, earlier told the newspaper that she had spoken to the journalist at around 11 pm on the day he went missing. She claimed that Pratap had repeatedly told her that he was feeling anxious about his reporting 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,” the newspaper quoted her as saying. “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.”

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