NARENDRA YADAV.

▮ Identity sealed · POCSO §23

Independent witness, Asaram cases (journalistic)

Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh

“Narendra Yadav is a Shahjahanpur-based journalist for *Dainik Jagran* who survived a violent stabbing attack in September 2014 after publishing nearly 300 stories on the Asaram Bapu cases. The investigation into the attack linked the assault to Asaram's henchman Kartik Haldar.”

Narendra Yadav is a regional journalist based in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, working for the Hindi daily newspaper *Dainik Jagran*. Following Asaram Bapu's arrest in August 2013, Yadav launched a prominent local media campaign titled 'Asaram Aafat Mein', writing 287 investigative stories over a 13-month period. His reports covered the background of the local minor victim's family, the threats they faced, and the local ashram's illegal activities, making him a prominent target for the cult's followers.

On September 17, 2014, while Yadav was leaving his office in Shahjahanpur, two unidentified men on a motorcycle intercepted him and attacked him with knives. Yadav sustained severe injuries to his neck and face, requiring 48 stitches on one wound and 28 on another. He survived the attack due to the intervention of local residents who rushed him to the hospital. Fearing further attacks, Yadav and his family requested police security.

The initial police investigation was marked by administrative neglect, with local officers questioning Yadav and his family regarding personal disputes rather than investigating the Asaram connection. It was only after the arrest of the contract killer Kartik Haldar by the Gujarat ATS in 2016 that the connection was officially established. Haldar confessed that he and associate Tamraj had planned and executed the attack on Yadav to silence his critical reporting and intimidate the local community.

Yadav's case is frequently cited by international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, as a primary example of the extreme dangers faced by journalists and witnesses covering cases against powerful religious leaders in India. Despite the attack and the slow pace of the judicial process, Yadav continued his work as a journalist in Shahjahanpur, advocating for press freedom and witness safety.