Satish Nandgaonkar was the Thane-Navi Mumbai bureau chief for the Mumbai edition of Hindustan Times.
The investigation conducted by the Mumbai Press Club has unveiled distressing details surrounding the death of Hindustan Times journalist Satish Nandgaonkar, who died of a massive heart attack outside his Lower Parel office on February 28. The inquiry exposed a distressing narrative of stress and mistreatment inflicted upon him allegedly by the HT Mumbai Editor.
The Mumbai Press Club has sent its findings to Shobana Bhartiya, the chairperson of HT, and the Editors Guild for necessary action. Moreover, the investigation report highlights the urgent need for implementing a comprehensive Code of Newsroom Conduct for Editors to prevent such incidents in the future.
Satish Nandgaonkar was the Thane-Navi Mumbai bureau chief for the Mumbai edition of Hindustan Times. Prompted by a complaint from Anjali Ambekar, Nandgaonkar”s wife, the Mumbai Press Club initiated an independent investigation into her husband”s death on March 10. Ambekar, citing evidence from emails and WhatsApp messages, described the abuse Nandgaonkar endured under the HT Mumbai Editor”s supervision.
“After his untimely death, I made it point to go through his Whatsapp chats and his emails and was horrified to note that he faced constant harassment at HT at the hands of Mumbai resident editor Meenal Baghel. I have been told that unable to cope with the harassment they faced at the hands of Meenal Bahgel, a few journalists resigned from the newspaper. Now I hear that one person has resigned from the newspaper after Satish’s death because of her, for the same reasons that had made my husband feel humiliated,” she wrote in an open letter.
In her heartfelt letter, she requested that a dedicated team thoroughly investigate the events surrounding Satish”s untimely passing. She stressed on gathering testimonies from all colleagues who were present in the office leading up to his death or had worked alongside him.
She urged that if the inquiry committee uncovers any wrongdoing, decisive and stringent actions be taken against those responsible. She also appealed for the announcement of suitable compensation for the family and comprehensive guidelines to effectively combat harassment against journalists in the workplace.
The Mumbai Press Club, in its letter to Anant Nath, President, Editors Guild of India, wrote: “With respect to the death of Satish Nandgaonkar, it is not known whether there is a direct relation between the incidents of harassment meted out to him on the 21st and 28th of February by Baghel and his death due to cardiac arrest. What is known, though, is that he had been put under severe stress by continuous bludgeoning and insults by the Executive Editor, which might have triggered a cardiac episode. It is, therefore, necessary for the Editors Guild of India to intervene and investigate the matter before we see more casualties at the Hindustan Times.”
The Mumbai Press Club will provide the necessary assistance for the probe, it promised. “Journalists externally face a threat to their freedom of expression. However, internally too, in the unscrupulous and bullying practices by editors in newsrooms are a threat to the journalists’ freedom to work with dignity and without fear. The Editors Guild has been strongly standing up against regulatory curbs on the freedom of expression. However, it is time perhaps the body should also consider framing a code of conduct for editors with respect to newsroom practices,” the letter added.
While acknowledging that editors have the right to adopt their preferred ways of working to get the best out of their teams, the letter added “as calls for a more democratic work environment get louder, the macho belief that humiliation and insults are the way to get the best out of co-workers is a thing of the past”.
