New Delhi: Days after a Chhattisgarh-based journalist was found murdered in Bijapur district, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Hyderabad has taken into custody Sukesh Chandrakar, the prime accused, police said on Monday. Three others involved – Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke – have already been arrested in the case.
The body of 28-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found with injuries of a blunt force attack in a septic tank on the property of a contractor on Friday. The police located it by tracking his mobile phone. The construction project was reportedly linked to contractor Sukesh Chandrakar and an investigation is underway to ascertain his role in the murder.
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Known for his investigative reporting on the Maoist conflict and corruption in road construction projects in the Bastar region, Mukesh was last seen on the evening of January 1. According to a Hindustan Times report, his elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar, also a journalist, had filed a missing person report the following day.
The incident occurred just two weeks after NDTV aired his expose on corruption in a 52-km road in the area that was in disrepair despite the funds spent. Following his story, the Jagdalpur public works department had set up an investigative committee to look into the alleged irregularities.
He was also the creator of Bastar Junction, a YouTube channel with over 167,000 subscribers, which had reported extensively on corruption and infrastructure issues in the region. Hours before his body was found, his brother had uploaded a video on the channel asking for help.
“My brother is a real hero. I don’t feel like I am his elder brother today. I feel like I have lost a child today,” he said.
Editors’ Guild demands safety of journalists
Expressing distress regarding the suspected murder, the Editors Guild of India released a letter stating it was a matter of grave concern. “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 efforts in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book,” the letter read.
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It underlined that the the safety of journalists – especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas – is of paramount importance, and that “the Editors Guild demands that authorities across the country must do their best to ensure that no harm or hindrance is caused to any of them in discharging their professional duties.”
“A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy,” it stated.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Journalists reporting on environmental-related subjects – mainly land seizures and illegal mining for industrial purposes – are at the greatest risk of targeted attacks in India. At least 13 of the 28 journalists killed since 2014 were working on these subjects.
In May 2022, 26-year-old Subhash Kumar Mahto, a freelance reporter known for his reporting on the sand mafia, was fatally shot in the head by four hitmen outside his home in Bihar.
In February 2023, investigative reporter Shashikant Warishe died in Maharashtra after being run down by an SUV driven by a real estate lobbyist connected to illegal land seizures that he had been investigating.
