A 28-year-old journalist named Mukesh Chandrakar was found dead in a septic tank on a contractor’s property in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, after he went missing. The police have arrested several suspects and opened a murder investigation. Mukesh’s body was discovered in a tank that had been recently sealed with concrete.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed his sadness about Mukesh’s murder, calling it a deep loss for journalism. He promised that the people responsible would face serious consequences and urged the police to find those guilty quickly.
Mukesh was last seen on the evening of January 1. His brother, Yukesh, who is also a journalist, reported him missing the next day. Police found Mukesh’s body on the property of a contractor named Suresh Chandrakar, who had been linked to a story Mukesh reported about irregularities in a road construction project. Yukesh mentioned that Mukesh received threats from three people connected to this story.
The police have not released many details about the suspects or the motive, as the investigation is still getting started. The post-mortem report is yet to come out.
Mukesh was known for his bravery and helped rescue CRPF personnel kidnapped by Maoists in 2021. He worked as a stringer for a national news channel and had a popular YouTube channel called Bastar Junction, with over 159,000 subscribers. His channel focused on issues around the conflict between the state and Maoists, as well as the struggles of the local tribal community.
Colleagues shared their shock and anger over his death, stating it highlights the dangers journalists face daily in their quest for the truth. “We demand a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice,” said Anurag Dwary, the resident editor at the national news channel where Mukesh worked.
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