Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): A television journalist who had complained about threats to his life after he carried out a sting operation on illicit sand mining was today mowed down by a truck, officials said.

Sandeep Sharma, who worked for a local news channel, had told the district administration he feared he could be killed by the sand mafia, his nephew, Vikas Purohit, said in a complaint to the police.

The 35-year-old journalist was talking on his phone by the side of Ater Road in front of a police station when the truck, used to ferry sand, ran over him, the officials said.

Purohit, in his complaint to the City Kotwali police, alleged that Sharma had been facing a threat to his life because of the recent sting operation he had carried out on the sand mafia.

"Sandeep had petitioned the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Inspector General (IG), Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Human Rights Commission stating that he feared for his life and had demanded security," Purohit said.

In his report to the top officials, Sharma had said because of the sting operation against the sand mafia and the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the officer was transferred, Purohit claimed.

Sharma was to have recorded his statement against the SDPO and was being threatened by unidentified people, Purohit added.

Bhind SP Prashant Khare said Sharma's application to the authorities was being examined and the incident probed.

The driver of the truck fled the scene after the accident, the police said.

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Chennai, Nov 2: A 27-year-old native of Thiruvarur district, who had arrived from Sharjah, has tested negative for monkey pox, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said here on Saturday.

Test results from both the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research here and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology have show negative for Mpox virus, the minister said.

Subramanian had earlier in the day told reporters that result was awaited for the sample that had been dispatched to the NIV while test result from King Institute ruled out monkey pox.

On October 31, upon his arrival at Tiruchirappalli airport from the UAE, during screening, the young man displayed fever symptoms and small skin lesions. Hence, he was taken to a government hospital.

Subramanian said the returnee had been frightened and hence left for his hometown of Valangaiman in Thiruvarur district. "This treatment is for his good and in order to prevent the spread of infection," the minister said.

Hence, he was brought back to the hospital by the authorities with police help and he has been receiving good treatment at the state-run facility. Further, Subramanian said that the test result from the government-run King Institute indicated Chickenpox and marked negative for presence of Mpox.

Screening at airports for passengers arriving from foreign countries is going on continuously in the state and international airports have dedicated isolated rooms.

Special wards are ready in government medical college hospitals, including those in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, to provide treatment for Mpox, in case anyone tests positive for the infection, the minister added.