Fighting the system and exposing corruption cost a journalist his life.
The body of independent journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who went missing in the New Year, was found in a septic tank three days later. He was a TV journalist from Maoist-affected Bijapur and ran the popular channel Bastar Junction on YouTube. He played an important role in broadcasting inside news of Bastar and in the release of policemen or villagers kidnapped by Maoists.
According to Mukesh’s elder brother and TV journalist UKesh Chandrakar, his brother had reported the corruption in the road construction done by contractor Suresh Chandrakar to a reputed TV news channel. After the news came, the state government had announced an investigation into this matter. He told the media that he had his last meeting with Mukesh on the evening of the first date of the New Year. The next morning Mukesh did not reach home and his phone was also switched off. During interrogation, it was revealed that Mukesh was going to meet contractor Suresh Chandrakar on the evening of January 1.
Meanwhile, after the disappearance of his brother, UKesh saw the last location of Mukesh’s mobile. The location was visible in the campus built for the laborers of contractors Dinesh Chandrakar, Suresh Chandrakar and Ritesh Chandrakar. In the evening, UKesh lodged a report with the police and expressed the fear of harm to Mukesh on behalf of contractors Dinesh Chandrakar, Suresh Chandrakar and Ritesh Chandrakar.
Murder accused contractor Suresh Chandrakar arrested
Later, police recovered the body of Mukesh Chandrakar from a septic tank built in the premises of contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chattan Para Basti. When the police started searching in the residential complex built for laborers, a structure made of fresh concrete was seen there. The lid of the old septic tank was closed and new concrete work was done on it just two days ago. When the police broke the upper part of the septic tank, the body of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found inside the water. There were many injury marks on the body. The postmortem report revealed that Mukesh had 15 injury marks on his head. Besides, the liver was broken into four pieces and the heart was badly damaged along with the neck being broken. Looking at his dead body it seemed that he had been brutally killed in a very planned manner.
Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said that no one involved in the brutal murder of a Bijapur journalist will be spared. An 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police IPS Mayank Gurjar.
The Press Club of India has issued a statement condemning the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar and demanded that the investigation in the case be completed within a stipulated time and action be taken against the culprits. In its statement, the Press Club has requested the Press Council to take cognizance of the matter and ask the state government to take appropriate steps. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also demanded strict and prompt action in this matter. He wrote on social media, “According to reports, Mukesh had exposed corruption in his report after which he was brutally murdered. The state government should take strict action, give strict punishment to the culprits and give appropriate compensation to the families. Consideration should also be given to providing jobs to their family members.
Other accused who cooperated with Suresh Chandrakar in the murder
After finding Suresh Chandrakar’s location in Hyderabad, the police cordoned off the roads. When a vehicle was stopped some distance away from Hyderabad, Suresh Chandrakar’s wife and driver were found in it. Although Suresh had fled leaving this vehicle, but during interrogation of his wife, she told about Suresh, after which Suresh was also caught.
The body of contractor Suresh Chandrakar, in whose premises the police recovered the body of Mukesh Chandrakar from the septic tank, is named among the big contractors involved in government construction works and mining in Bastar. It is said that he was born in a very poor family but in the last few years, he started being counted among the top contractors of Bastar by taking contracts for government construction works in Maoist affected areas. Not only this, in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held a few months ago, a political party had also entrusted him with the responsibility of Observer of Navapur Assembly.
