1975 – 21 June 2015), an Indian freelancer investigative crime journalist for the NaiDunia, was murdered in the Balaghat District, Madhya Pradesh, India.

[1][3][4] Both Kothari's sister Sandhya and brother Rahul begged him to stop reporting about the sand mafia as it was risking his life.

Over his career, he wrote for prominent newspapers, such as Nai Duniya, Hari Bhoomi (sometimes transliterated as Haribhumi), and Deshbandhu around Jabalpur.

[4] Sandeep Kothari's murderers first attacked him and his friend, who were on their way to the village of Umri, in the Balaghat district, by ramming their four-wheel motor vehicle into their bike on 19 June 2015.

[9][10][15] Police received complaints that Kothari was a blackmailer; however, his family and colleagues assert that these are just more false accusations like the ones made during his final years.

[7] There has not yet been a conviction in the case[16] Kothari’s murder was connected to the local sand mining mafia as he was exposing their practices.

[18] The mining mafias in India have been implicated in hundreds of deaths, including government officials, police officers, journalists, and citizens.

[8] Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, has called for an investigation into the death of Sandeep Kothari and is urging authorities to bring the crime's perpetrators to trial.

[21] The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said, "It is critical for the safety and independence of media in India that these incidents be investigated swiftly and transparently and with immediate steps taken to remedy the situation.