Mumbai : Hundreds of mediapersons here marched in a candle light procession on Friday to pay homage to three journalists who recently lost their lives in the line of duty across India.

They silently marched from Azad Maidan to the nearby BMC headquarters. The candles were placed besides the portraits of the journalists.

The procession was organised by Mumbai Press Club, Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, Bombay News Photographers Association and TV Journalists Association. The mediapersons – Akshay Singh, Sandeep Kothari and Jagendra Singh-were killed recently while on assignments.

Akshay Singh, 38, a special correspondent with Aaj Tak, died in Madhya Pradesh while interviewing some people in connection with the Vyapam scam.

Kothari, 40, based in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, was burnt to death for exposing activities of the sand mafia. His charred remains were found near railway tracks in Maharashtra’s Wardha district.

Jagendra Singh, a freelancer, was also burnt to death allegedly by policemen and goons reportedly acting at the behest of an Uttar Pradesh minister.

A statement released by the march organisers said: “If this is how the Fourth Estate is going to be treated by the powers-that-be, while the government looks the other way, it is indeed a black hour for Indian democracy.”