A local television journalist was shot dead by unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district on Saturday night.

According to a Press Trust of India report, 45-year-old Hemant Yadav was returning home from the market when two youths stopped his bike. While one engaged Yadav in a conversation, the other shot at him from point blank range.

The reason behind the murder was not known yet. The locals rushed Yadav to the district hospital, where he was declared "brought dead".

This is the third incident of journalist's murder in the state in the last four months, reports PTI.

Additional superintendent of police Jiya Lal Yadav told reporters, "Following a first Information Report (FIR) which was filed by the journalist's family member, three special teams have been formed, to locate the unidentified assailants. The investigation is still on."

Hemant Yadav is survived by his wife and two young children.

Previous incidents

This is not the first time a journalist was attacked in UP.

In August this year, local reporter Sanjay Pathak was hit several times on the head with a heavy object and is said to have died due to excessive bleeding.

In June, Jagendra Singh was set ablaze during a raid in Shahjahanpur. An FIR was registered against six people and a state minister. According to reports, the UP minister was upset with Singh for posting Facebook updates about his illegal mining activities.

In a separate incident, another journalist was attacked and nearly killed by the mining mafia in the Chitrakoot district.