3 Arrested in Link to Chhattisgarh Journalist's Murder Case, Body Found in Septic Tank

Raipur: Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, an independent journalist and stringer. Mukesh’s body was discovered in a septic tank, a day after his elder brother, also a journalist, reported him missing.  

The body of 28-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found floating in a septic tank on Friday, January 3, at a property owned by a local contractor in Chattanpara Basti. Mukesh had been missing since January 1, and his brother lodged a missing complaint the following day after that the police began search, said IG Bastar P Sundarraj .

Adding that the septic tank appeared freshly sealed with a concrete slab. Three suspects have been detained for questioning, and the investigation is ongoing.  

Mukesh was reportedly working on a story about irregularities in a road construction project involving the contractor whose property became the site of his death. Days before his disappearance, Mukesh broke a story on the scam for a reputed media house. Police suspect this report may have led to his murder.  

Mukesh’s elder brother, Yukesh, said the journalist had received threats in the past. Mukesh was a well-known freelance journalist in the region, contributing to prominent news channels and running a popular YouTube channel, Bastar Junction, with over 1.59 lakh subscribers.  

Local journalists staged a symbolic road blockade at Hospital Chowk on National Highway 36, demanding strict action against the contractor and his associates. They called for the attachment of Suresh Chandrakar’s properties in the Bastar region, freezing his bank accounts, and imposing the death penalty on those responsible.  

The protestors also demanded the suspension or transfer of the Bijapur superintendent of police for alleged lapses in protecting journalists.  

“Three persons have been detained in connection with the murder and are being interrogated,” a senior police officer said. Authorities are exploring all angles, including Mukesh’s work on the corruption case.