DEHRADUN: In a tragic turn of events, senior journalist Pankaj Mishra died following a physical altercation with a colleague stemming from a social media post. Mishra, a resident of Doon Vihar, Jakhan, in Dehradun, passed away late on Monday night, prompting police action and concern among the media fraternity.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed his condolences over the journalist's death and ordered an impartial inquiry into the incident.

A post-mortem examination of Mishra’s body was conducted on Tuesday afternoon at Coronation Hospital in Dehradun.

The sequence of events reportedly began two days prior when Mishra posted content on social media that led to a heated dispute. Although Mishra later deleted the post and issued an apology, the underlying tension persisted.

Sources indicate that late on Monday night, Mishra had an argument over the phone with a fellow journalist. Shortly thereafter, two individuals reportedly arrived at Mishra’s rented residence in Jakhan and engaged in a physical assault.

The altercation was reportedly captured on video by Mishra’s wife, but the assailants fled with the mobile phones of the couple. When police were informed and visited the scene, Mishra reportedly stated he would pursue formal action the following morning.