Journalism of Courage
Advertisement
Varinder Bhatia
Varinder Bhatia is the Deputy Resident Editor at The Indian Express in Chandigarh. He is a veteran journalist with over 22 years of experience specializing in crime, political investigations, and legal reporting. Professional Profile Education: Law graduate from Panjab University. Career Path: He began his career as an intern at The Times of India and worked as a legal reporter for Hindustan Times (2001) before joining The Indian Express in October 2004. Awards: He is a two-time winner of the Express Excellence Awards. Expertise: His reporting is deeply rooted in the political and judicial affairs of Haryana, with a focus on high-profile criminal cases and administrative reforms. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 - 2025) His recent work highlights critical investigative reporting on crime and governance: 1. Crime & Investigations "Red Fort car explosion: Shops where raw materials bought identified" (Nov 14, 2025): Detailed reporting on the investigation into the sourcing of ammonium nitrate and potash for a car blast near Delhi's Red Fort. "Well-educated, a loner: Woman who killed 4 kids was jealous of their looks" (Dec 5, 2025): A chilling investigative piece on a Panipat woman arrested for murdering her own son and nieces. "Haryana officer suicide: What has happened so far in the Y Puran Kumar case" (Oct 15, 2025): Covering the high-stakes suicide of an IGP who left a note naming several top IPS and IAS officers in a corruption scandal. "Relu Ram murder: Why the murder of a former MLA's family is back in focus" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the flare-up of property disputes after the release of convicts in a 24-year-old mass murder case. 2. Haryana Politics & Economy "Over 25 lakh farmers have Rs 60,816 crore outstanding loans, says CM Nayab Singh Saini" (Dec 18, 2025): Reporting from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha winter session on the state's agriculture debt crisis. "Haryana comes out with Ordinance to simplify land ownership in rural areas" (Nov 27, 2025): Analyzing new laws to clarify ownership within abadi deh (village habitation) lands. "Lado Laksmi Yojana: Saini...
Authors you can follow
More From Varinder Bhatia - Page 26
Haryana CM says ‘guaranteed employment’ in state to Agniveers after 4 years of serviceSubscriber Only
June 21, 2022 08:33 IST
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar tweeted Tuesday, "I make this announcement that under the Agnipath scheme, those Agniveers who shall come back after serving the nation for four years, those people shall be given employment in Haryana government."
Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Explained: All about Parwanoo’s Timber Trail ropeway where tourists got stuckSubscriber Only
June 20, 2022 19:51 IST
The Timber Trail is a bicable ropeway and its cable cars are called Gondola Cabins. On Monday, a group of tourists onboard got stuck mid-air, bringing back memories of a similar incident at the same ropeway some 30 years ago.
Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Kuldeep Bishnoi trades fire with Cong leaders, but takes his time leavingSubscriber Only
June 20, 2022 18:57 IST
Angry over Bishnoi defying party orders during the recent Rajya Sabha polls, contributing to a major embarrassment for it, the Congress had removed him from all positions.
Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Cong withdrawal gives AAP an opening in Haryana civic pollsSubscriber Only
June 20, 2022 13:38 IST
Elections were held in 46 municipal bodies across Haryana, with results to be declared on June 22. The Congress did not field any candidates, though some are contesting with the party's support.
Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Kuldeep Bishnoi interview: ‘Rahul Gandhi takes decisions under pressure… is surrounded by coterie who doesn’t understand pulse of people’Subscriber Only
June 15, 2022 19:15 IST
"As far as Haryana is concerned, their decision to make Udai Bhan the party president is a disaster. When you choose the head of a state, you should pick a known face. But in this case – who is Udai Bhan," wonders Congress rebel MLA from Adampur, Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Wed, Jun 15, 2022
At the centre of Cong’s Haryana RS fiasco: Vivek Bansal, AICC in-charge, ex-UP MLASubscriber Only
June 14, 2022 21:06 IST
AICC in-charge of Haryana, Vivek Bansal, has come under attack within the party for his failure in ensuring a victory for the Congress candidate Ajay Maken in the Rajya Sabha election despite the party having adequate numbers.
Wed, Jun 15, 2022
Rajya Sabha election fiasco: Haryana Congress to identify MLA who cast ballot paper wronglySubscriber Only
June 13, 2022 18:27 IST
The wrongly filled ballot paper and cross-voting by Congress’s Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi led to the defeat of party nominee Ajay Maken in the election.
Tue, Jun 14, 2022
Heat on Hooda over first test failure after free handSubscriber Only
June 12, 2022 01:02 IST
On April 27, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership revamped the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), appointing a close Hooda aide Udai Bhan as the new HPCC president, thereby giving a free hand to Hooda in the state party affairs.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Cong MLAs claim Choudhry’s vote got rejected; she hits back calling it a ‘scandalous and sinister campaign’Subscriber Only
June 12, 2022 00:50 IST
Party sources said that she had filled the ballot paper “wrong” due to which her vote was rejected and Congress’ number game got disrupted, eventually leading to Maken’s loss.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
How Maken lost to Sharma by just 2/3rd of one voteSubscriber Only
June 12, 2022 00:45 IST
The Independent candidate backed by the BJP and its ally JJP, Kartikeya Sharma, media baron, edged out Maken because of the Congress MLAs and party satrap Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s detractors, Kuldeep Bishnoi and Kiran Choudhry.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Haryana photo finish: BJP bags both the seatsSubscriber Only
June 12, 2022 00:44 IST
BJP's Krishan Panwar and BJP-JJP backed media baron Kartikeya Sharma made it to the Rajya Sabha.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Haryana Rajya Sabha polling – The 17-hour long dramatic turn of eventsSubscriber Only
June 12, 2022 00:30 IST
Objections were raised on two Congress votes within first hour of polling that eventually resulted in a delay of counting of votes by more than seven hours.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Haryana RS polls: Timeline of BJP-JJP’s swift action versus faction-riven Cong’s resort moveSubscriber Only
June 11, 2022 22:33 IST
In a nail-biting election, whose outcome was known early Saturday, media baron Kartikeya Sharma emerged victorious as dissident Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi did not vote for the party’s candidate Ajay Maken while another MLA Kiran Choudhry allegedly cast a ‘wrong vote’
Mon, Jun 13, 2022
Congress’s Haryana Rajya Sabha fiasco: Heat on Hooda over first test failure after free hand Subscriber Only
June 11, 2022 18:32 IST
Bhupinder Singh Hooda was entrusted with the responsibility to ensure Maken’s victory. As far as the optics are concerned, Hooda, along with his son Deepender Hooda and Bhan, appeared to leave no stone unturned to enable Maken to sail through the polls.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Photo finish in Haryana: How Maken lost by two-thirds of a voteSubscriber Only
June 11, 2022 15:35 IST
Haryana photo finish: How Ajay Maken lost to Kartikeya Sharma by just 2/3rd of 1 vote
Sun, Jun 12, 2022Rajya Sabha polls: Blamed for rejected vote, Haryana MLA Kiran Choudhry slams ‘scandalous campaign’Subscriber Only
June 11, 2022 13:44 IST
Tosham legislator from Congress asked how anyone could know her vote had been rejected. "It is a secret ballot … I shall take legal recourse," she said.
Sat, Jun 11, 2022
Haryana Rajya Sabha cliffhanger: Bishnoi and Kiran, Hooda detractors who sealed Maken fateSubscriber Only
June 11, 2022 12:50 IST
The 65-year-old Congress MLA from Adampur, Kuldeep Bishnoi, did not vote for the Congress’s Rajya Sabha candidate Ajay Maken. He has been sulking with the party leadership for several weeks now for not being considered for the post of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president.
Sat, Jun 11, 2022Haryana Rajya Sabha polls: Cong MLA Kiran Choudhry’s vote was rejected for ‘wrongly casting ballot paper’Subscriber Only
June 11, 2022 09:58 IST
Choudhry says allegations are 'absolutely rubbish'; Congress MLAs seek stern action against her and Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Sat, Jun 11, 2022
Newsmaker | Kartikeya Sharma: The media baron and son of a veteran politician who toppled CongressSubscriber Only
June 11, 2022 09:31 IST
Karthikeya Sharma, 41, is the brother of Manu Sharma, who was convicted in the Jessica Lal murder case, and the son of Congress’ expelled leader and former Union minister Venod Sharma.
Sat, Jun 11, 2022
Bishnoi sinks Maken, BJP bags both seatsSubscriber Only
June 11, 2022 06:27 IST
According to details shared by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while one Congress vote was rejected, Kuldeep Bishnoi (Congress MLA from Adampur) “voted as per his inner conscience” and “did not vote for Congress nominee Ajay Maken”.
Sun, Jun 12, 2022
Haryana Rajya Sabha Polls: Counting on hold as Independent nominee, Maken rush to EC over two Cong votesSubscriber Only
June 10, 2022 17:45 IST
A BJP and a Congress delegation separately met EC officials in the evening in Delhi.
Fri, Jun 10, 2022
Rajya Sabha polling today for two seats from HaryanaSubscriber Only
June 10, 2022 09:04 IST
Haryana Rajya Sabha election: Krishan Panwar set to make it to the Upper House; key contest between Ajay Maken and Kartikeya Sharma
Fri, Jun 10, 2022
Rajya Sabha elections: Kartikeya Sharma garners support amid last-minute ‘offers’, mock testsSubscriber Only
June 10, 2022 05:41 IST
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, and BJP state president Om Prakash Dhankar today held a discussion with all the coalition and a few Independent MLAs for a final push before the Rajya Sabha polling, tomorrow.
Fri, Jun 10, 2022
Rajya Sabha ‘resort politics’: Now, BJP-JJP summons its coalition MLAs, Independents to 5-star resortSubscriber Only
June 09, 2022 06:35 IST
Manohar Lal Khattar had announced that the BJP's surplus MLAs will support Kartikeya Sharma. JJP's 10 MLAs have announced their support to Sharma.
Thu, Jun 09, 2022
For MLAs of 3 states, Rajya Sabha polls a walk in the park, splash in the poolSubscriber Only
June 07, 2022 21:34 IST
Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections, legislators of at least three states – Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra – are huddled in five-star hotels and resorts to ensure rival parties do not lure away their MLAs.
Wed, Jun 08, 2022Journalism of Courage
Install the Express App for
a better experience
a better experience
Featured
Trending Topics
News
Multimedia
Follow Us