Freelance journalist Pawan Jaiswal has died, less than a month after he had publicly appealed to Uttar Pradesh politicians to help him pay for his cancer treatment.
Jaiswal was well-known for his work; in 2019, he had reported on how a government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur had fed students roti with salt as part of the mid day meal. The Uttar Pradesh government had filed an FIR against him, accusing him of “conspiracy”.
The Editors Guild of India had condemned the state government, calling the FIR a “cruel and classic case of shooting the messenger”. Jaiswal was later given a clean chit in the case.
Multiple journalists mourned Jaiswal’s death on social media.
Pawan Jaiswal, the reporter who exposed the "namak-roti" mid day meal story in UP's Mirzapur in 2019 is no more. He was then hounded by the local admin for the expose but later got clean chit. Lost his battle to cancer. Farewell, my friend. You will always be remembered.
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 5, 2022
I wish we could have helped him sooner. Rest in peace #PawanJaiswal. Rest in power, my friend. Deepest condolences to his family and all those who loved him. https://t.co/BTJ5gbXfDP
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) May 5, 2022
Journalist Pawan Jaiswal is no more, succumbs to cancer. He was known for breaking the story about "salt-roti being served to students in a school in Uttar Pradesh". For the same story, Pawan was booked by UP police in 2019, later on, UP police had given a clean chit to Pawan. pic.twitter.com/4ZU1ZVXM4n
— Mahmodul Hassan (@mhassanism) May 5, 2022
A fiery ground reporter from Mirzapur, #PawanJaiswal loses his battle with cancer. He was the one who exposed the district admin which was feeding Chapatti and Salt to kids in schools.
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) May 5, 2022
Was booked, he won that case but lost his life to cancer. Rest in peace, Pawan.
#मिर्ज़ापुर ।कैंसर की जंग हार गए पत्रकार पवन जायसवाल, नमक रोटी वाले पत्रकार पवन जायसवाल की हुई मौत, कैंसर से पीड़ित पवन जायसवाल का वाराणसी में चल रहा था इलाज, भोर में तड़के सुबह हुई मौत, प्राथमिक स्कूल में बच्चों को नमक रोटी परोसने की खबर दुनिया को दिखाने वाले पत्रकार नहीं रहे। pic.twitter.com/cB33SWrnqT
— Brijendra Dubey (@Mirzapuriy) May 5, 2022
Pawan Jaiswal, the fiery reporter from Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh lost his battle to cancer last night.
— Saurabh Sharma (@saurabhsherry) May 5, 2022
He showed the world how a journalist with spine work. He was booked by administration for exposing the mid day meal scam where children were fed salt with rotis.
Travel well https://t.co/Si0F4PiSo1
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
