NEW DELHI: In a tragic accident, 66-year-old veteran journalist Umesh Upadhyay died allegedly after falling from the fourth floor of an under-construction building in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on Sunday.
According to police, Upadhyay was inspecting renovation work at his house in C-8 block of Vasant Kunj when around 10:30 am, he accidentally fell and landed on the second floor.
He was seriously injured on the head and suffered multiple other injuries. He was rushed to Indian Spinal Injuries Centre where he succumbed to his injuries.
A media veteran with over four decades of experience in the industry, Upadhyay was president of news at Network 18. He also served as head of media at Reliance Industries Limited. Upadhyay had worked at several other news organisations, including Zee News, Sab TV, Janmat TV, Doordarshan and Press Trust of India.
His younger brother, Satish Upadhyay, is a senior BJP functionary and currently vice-chairman of NDMC. He had earlier held the post of president in the Delhi state unit.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences. “I am deeply saddened by the demise of senior journalist and writer Umesh Upadhyay ji, who made valuable contributions in the field of digital media and TV. His demise is an irreparable loss for the world of journalism. I express my condolences to his family in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!” Modi wrote.
Police received information about the incident at 2.48 pm and initiated an investigation. Post-mortem and inquest proceedings under Section 194 BNS were underway, said an officer. Police said they were investigating to determine the circumstances surrounding the fall and whether any negligence or foul play was involved. Another police officer said that Upadhyay’s family was currently not staying at this house due to renovation work.
Born in 1958 in Mathura, Upadhyay embarked on his journalism career in the early 1980s. He had recently penned a book titled “Western Media Narratives on India: From Gandhi to Modi”.
Upadhyay was an alumnus of JNU and the University of Delhi. He did his Masters and M Phil at School of International Studies, JNU, and had served as a member of the Academic Council of Delhi University.
His last rites will be performed at Nigambodh Ghat on Monday.