Missing journalist's body found in septic tank in Chhattisgarh; 3 arrested

Chhattisgarh journalist death: Mukesh Chandrakar (28) had recently exposed irregularities in a Rs 120-crore road construction project in Bastar

The body of a 28-year-old journalist was found in a septic tank at the property of a contractor he had recently exposed for alleged corruption in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. 

 

Mukesh Chandrakar, who worked for a local news channel, was found dead on January 3.

 

Mukesh had been missing since the night of January 1. Prior to his disappearance, he had investigated contractor Suresh Chandrakar, uncovering alleged irregularities in a Rs 120-crore road construction project in Bastar. This investigation reportedly led to the government initiating a probe into the contractor's activities.

 

Mukesh's elder brother, Yukesh Chandrakar, reported him missing after Mukesh's phone remained switched off following a meeting arranged by Ritesh Chandrakar, Suresh's brother, at one of the latter’s properties.

 

 

On January 3, Mukesh's body was found in a water tank on Suresh's property in Chattanpara Basti, where he was last seen.

 

"The victim's brother informed us that Mukesh had been missing since January 1. We initiated action, scanned CCTV footage and also found his last location. We found Mukesh's dead body inside a tank in the evening today," a senior police official said, as reported by India Today.

 

So far, three arrests have been made, including Suresh’s brothers, Dinesh and Ritesh. Suresh remains at large, and police are questioning additional suspects linked to the contractor.

 

The police are reportedly investigating whether Mukesh's death is connected to his recent investigative reports. In April 2021, Mukesh was credited by the state police for his significant role in facilitating the release of CRPF CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who had been abducted by Maoists.

 

Chattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed sorrow over Mukesh's death, describing it as a "profound loss to journalism and society".

 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the chief minister said, "The news of murder of young and dedicated journalist Mukesh Chandrakar of Bijapur is extremely sad and heart-breaking. The demise of Mukesh Ji is an irreparable loss to the world of journalism and society."

 

He further said, "The culprit of this incident will not be spared under any circumstances. We have given instructions to arrest the criminals as soon as possible and give them the harshest punishment."  Meanwhile, state's deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma announced the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. 

The Press Association and the Editors Guild of India on Saturday condemned the killing of a television journalist in Chhattisgarh and demanded that the state government conduct a thorough investigation into the case.

 

"The young journalist's death is a matter of grave concern as it raises suspicion of foul play. The Editors Guild calls on the government of Chhattisgarh to spare no effort in investigating the case swiftly and bringing the guilty to book," the Guild said in a statement. 

The two media bodies also urged the Chhattisgarh government to take steps to protect journalists, particularly those involved in field reporting and investigative journalism.

 

News reports stated that the contractor lobby in Bastar has a reputation for leveraging influence and alleged bribes to secure government projects, often resorting to threats or violence to suppress dissent. Journalists investigating corruption in the region frequently encounter harassment and intimidation.

 

(With agency inputs)