Empty liquor bottles lay scattered across the moss-covered terrace of the Trauma Centre at Uttarkashi’s District Hospital. A stray dog slipped past as the camera panned up a narrow staircase, revealing an unkempt rooftop strewn with bottles. The scene struck a stark contrast to the institution below—supposedly a place of care, now echoing with abandonment.
“This looks more like a madiralaya (liquor house),” 36 year old journalist Rajeev Pratap remarked, capturing the neglect in what would become his final video.
Uploaded on September 16 to his YouTube channel Delhi Uttarakhand Live—which has over 3,800 subscribers and 167 videos covering politics, awareness, and local issues—the video drew more than 10,000 views and hundreds of comments, many now reading #JusticeForRajeev.
Days later, Rajeev went missing. On September 27, his body was found in the Bhagirathi river near the Joshiyara barrage. His car had plunged off a steep stretch of the Gangotri highway. A postmortem recorded internal injuries, which police said were consistent with a crash. But his family alleges foul play, saying he had been anxious about recent stories he was working on.
His wife, Muskan, who is seven months pregnant, told the media that Rajeev had received threats over his video reports and that their last conversation went unanswered, prompting her to fear he had been abducted. She has called for a thorough and impartial investigation, emphasising that he did not simply "fall off the road".
The Uttarakhand Police have since formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine CCTV footage, phone records, and the condition of the car. While police maintain it appears to be an accident, they say other possibilities are not being ruled out. In a recent development, the SIT probe, on Thursday, concluded that it was a case of a road accident caused by intoxication.
For those who knew him, Rajeev was someone who spoke up about local problems, often at personal risk. His last video has become a haunting reminder of the work he pursued until the very end.
A Reporter With Big Dreams
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Rajeev once toyed with preparing for government exams before journalism drew him in completely. His college roommate, journalist Shitli Jaiswal, remembers him as “a simple man with big dreams”. After a short stint with mainstream media houses, Rajeev realised that climbing hierarchies would not allow him to do the work he wanted.
According to Jaiswal, he believed he could make a bigger impact on his own and decided to start a YouTube channel while still in Delhi.
Delhi gave him proximity to power, but his gaze remained on the hills. He wanted the struggles of pahadis to be heard at the national level—a sentiment reflected even in the name of his channel. As Jaiswal explained, in the mountains, basic amenities often meant a journey to the plains, and Rajeev felt these everyday hardships rarely found space in mainstream media.
“He often spoke of building something larger, a platform that could employ young reporters and give them the opportunities he himself had long hoped for,” Jaiswal said.
In February 2021, Delhi Uttarakhand Live went online. Its first video, viewed over 1,200 times, highlighted the state’s troubling delays in conducting the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (PCS) examinations. Rajeev framed it as a betrayal of thousands of unemployed youth, noting that only three exams had been held in twenty years, forcing many talented students to migrate for opportunities elsewhere.
From there, his videos expanded to cover the many overlooked struggles of mountain life. He extensively reported on panchayat elections, explained the history of panchayati raj, and urged voters to make informed choices.
Through his channel, Rajeev also questioned those in power: in one interview with BJP candidate Kishor Bhatt, he pushed past evasive answers and asked repeatedly for a clear vision for the ward. Only after persistent questioning did the candidate outline a few plans—before circling back to campaign slogans for a “triple engine” government.
Chronicling the Struggles of Mountain Communities
Rajeev’s reporting often turned a camera on the everyday hardships of Uttarakhand’s remote villages, capturing both human stories and systemic failures. But his commitment to truth sometimes put him in uncomfortable positions, a reality his family quietly witnessed.
As his brother Alok recalled, Rajeev would occasionally receive calls asking him to delete certain videos. “We only overheard them; he never shared these calls with us,” he said. Despite repeated warnings from family members to stay cautious, Rajeev refused to remove anything. “He used to say nothing will happen. These are simple reports,” Alok added.
Even when viewers left personal attacks in the comments, Rajeev largely ignored them, keeping his focus on the communities he sought to represent.
His work highlighted isolation and neglect in villages like Sarthali, inhabited by 91 families who were forced to travel kilometers just to make a phone call, leaving them cut off from government schemes and emergency support. Across his reports, he documented hunger strikes, long-standing protests, and the repeated inaction of local administrators on essential projects—from irrigation schemes and blocked roads to stalled water supply under government programmes.
He captured villagers’ frustration with broken promises, systemic corruption, and the feeling of being abandoned, giving voice to their anger and determination.
He was particularly vocal about the plight of people living in unsafe, temporary accommodations in Brahmkhal. Two years ago, a landslide caused by road construction had displaced six families, who were relocated to an ill-equipped Inter College. Despite assurances of temporary housing, they remained there, living in dire conditions without proper lighting, security, or a safe environment for education. The premises were also frequented by anti-social elements at night, compounding the sense of danger.
On camera, Rajeev expressed his frustration and empathy: “The administration should at least cater to these children, who have their whole future ahead.”
His reporting also explored the changing landscape of ancestral villages like Raval, where he walked through abandoned homes and crumbling structures that once buzzed with life, pausing at the old community well. With a cheeky remark—“Let’s see if the water has also migrated”—he highlighted both the humour and the tragedy of deserted villages.
Yet amid decay, he also noticed resilience: a Nepalese family cultivating finger millet, locals maintaining forest contracts, and a few remaining families keeping fields alive, showing that with attention and development, these communities could still thrive.
Holding Power to Account
Elsewhere, his lens captured stalled development, crumbling infrastructure, and everyday hazards. He documented villagers struggling without mobile connectivity or access to government schemes, as well as communities protesting roads that had been damaged for years—routes essential not only for transporting goods, but also for reaching schools, hospitals, and fetching fodder.
Rajeev highlighted non-functional streetlights, broken ATMs in Brahmkhal market, and dangerous Yamunotri roads vulnerable to landslides. His videos also explored corruption in large-scale government schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission, showing projects completed on paper but barely 20–30% functional on the ground.
Cultural concerns were another facet of his reporting. In Mana village, Chamoli, he documented how an ancient temple’s idols were allegedly replaced by statues of private family members, igniting debates about respect for Uttarakhand’s sacred heritage. He consistently juxtaposed systemic failures with the lived experiences of ordinary people, turning neglected statistics into compelling stories of human resilience and frustration.
Reflecting on Rajeev’s dedication, Jaiswal said an impartial investigation into his death was necessary. He noted that those who bring uncomfortable truths to light often end up in the limelight themselves, as had happened with Rajeev, and expressed hope that his journalism would finally get its due.
Jaiswal also recalled small, personal details from their college days: he would often make sure Rajeev ate properly, as he tended to skip meals, and even when they parted after completing their course, he urged him to take care of his health. “Rajeev wanted to bring ground realities to the mainstream, but seeing him become the news himself is truly disheartening,” his former roommate added.
Alok emphasised his brother’s relentless commitment to reporting. Whenever Rajeev found a problem, he would grab his mic and head straight to the ground, never hesitating. Even when asked to be cautious, he ignored warnings, believing that his work—however simple—mattered far more than personal safety.
