A local television channel journalist died in Assam’s Tinsukia district after being knocked down by a vehicle, following which his employers alleged foul play. According to them, Parag Bhuyan was killed for exposing illegal activities and corruption in his area.

Police said that Bhuyan, a senior correspondent at 'Pratidin Time', was knocked down by a vehicle near his house on NH 15 on Wednesday night.

He was referred to a Dibrugarh hospital by a local medical facility following the accident, where he died Thursday morning.

The vehicle was identified by CCTV footage and the Assam Police had alerted its counterpart at Arunachal Pradesh, a police official said. After this, the driver, who had escaped, was arrested along with his handyman.

A probe into the incident has been launched and the police are interrogating the both.

Officials added that the vehicle, owned by a woman in Arunachal Pradesh, is used by her son to carry leaves.

Nitumoni Saikia, the editor-in-chief of the news channel issued a statement saying that the initial approach of the police was their reason for suspicion. . "... We suspect that the journalist was murdered as he has been doing a series of reporting exposing illegalities and corruption around Kakopthar."

Saikia added that Bhuyan had received threats for these reports.

"We at the Pratidin Time suspect it as a planned murder and demand a detailed inquiry into the whole incident and give justice to the family of late Bhuyan and Pratidin Time", said the statement.

Bhuyan, a 53-year-old, was the younger brother of Asom Gana Parishad leader Jagadish Bhuyan and the vice-president of Tinsukia Press Club.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the police to arrest all involved as soon as possible, and condoled his death.

Ripun Bora, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, also demanded an investigation into Bhuyan's death. "We suspect foul play as the journalist was knocked down near his home and the driver of the vehicle fled from the spot".