Bhopal:

The Special Investigation Team investigating the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was found in a septic tank last week, has said the journalist was killed by his cousins who were enraged by his reportage on corruption in road construction contracts, some of which involved them.

Mukesh, an independent journalist who also contributed to NDTV, practised his craft in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, an area which is notoriously difficult for reporters.

The 32-year-old journalist was last seen leaving his home in Bijapur’s Pujari Para on New Year’s Day. His brother, Yukesh, filed a missing complaint the next day and informed the police about the last location updated on the journalist’s phone: a shed owned by his cousin and contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chhatan Para Basti, not very far from their home.

A note by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) said police found 17 rooms for workers, which were locked, and a newly cemented septic tank. Suresh claimed the tank was cemented as part of renovations, but officials grew suspicious.

Call detail records revealed that Mukesh’s last two calls were from another cousin Ritesh Chandrakar, who is Suresh’s brother. CCTV footage revealed that Ritesh was seen on January 2 at Kondagaon toll plaza and later at Raipur airport, boarding a flight to Delhi. This deepened suspicions.

Police then took Dinesh Chandrakar, another of Mukesh’s cousins and brother of Suresh and Ritesh, into custody from Bijapur hospital. After hours of interrogation, he confessed that Ritesh and one of their supervisors, Mahendra Ramteke, murdered Mukesh using an iron rod and hid his body in the septic tank.

On January 3, police uncovered Mukesh’s body from the septic tank, in the presence of forensics and administrative officials.

Strangled, Stabbed

Mukesh, the SIT note said, had exposed corruption in road construction contracts linked to his cousins, leading to investigations against Suresh. This angered Suresh, Ritesh, Dinesh and Mahendra, who hatched a plan to kill the journalist.

On January 1, Mukesh was lured to the shed by Ritesh on the pretext of having dinner together. He was beaten, strangled, and stabbed. The body was hidden in the septic tank, which was later sealed with cement.

Mukesh’s phones were smashed and thrown into the Tumnar River to destroy evidence.

Suresh was arrested in Hyderabad on January 5 with the assistance of the Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh police.

The SIT note said tools like artificial intelligence and open source intelligence (OSINT) were used to analyse digital evidence, including over 100 call records and deleted mobile data.

The crime scene was recreated twice to verify the confessions. Forensic teams also recovered critical evidence, including the murder weapon and blood-stained clothes.

The Press Council of India (PCI) on Saturday (January 4, 2025) expressed concern over the suspected murder of a journalist in Chhattisgarh and sought a report from the State government.

PCI Chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai took suo motu cognisance of the death of Mukesh Chandrakar in Bastar and called for a report on facts of the case from the state government, a PCI statement said.

The Press Association and the Editors Guild of India also condemned the killing of the television journalist, and demanded the State government conduct a thorough investigation.

Three persons have been detained in connection with the alleged killing of the 33-year-old. According to the police, the four accused identified so far include brothers Ritesh Chandrakar, Dinesh Chandrakar and Suresh Chandrakar who are construction contractors and Mahendra Ramteke, who is their employee. Suresh Chandrakar is absconding while the other three have been arrested.

Mr. Chandrakar, a freelance journalist who had highlighted alleged irregularities in road construction, went missing on January 1, and his body was found on Friday in a septic tank on a property owned by Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town, as per police.

SIT set up

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma announced the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.

State Deputy CM Arun Sao, who also holds PWD portfolio, said investigation will be carried out into every project executed by Suresh Chandrakar.

Mukesh Chandrakar worked as a freelance journalist for news channel NDTV, and also ran a YouTube channel, ‘Bastar Junction’, which has 1.59 lakh subscribers.

He played a crucial role in the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur that killed 22 security personnel.

Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said Ritesh Chandrakar was arrested from Raipur airport, while Dinesh Chandrakar and Ramteke were held from Bijapur.

“Our probe has revealed Ritesh Chandrakar is a kin of Mukesh Chandrakar and the two used to interact often. On January 1, at 8 p.m., the two spoke on phone and then both went to the compound of Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara for dinner. An argument broke out after Ritesh accused the deceased of hindering their construction work,” the IG said.

“Ritesh and Ramteke killed Mukesh with an iron rod, placed the body in the septic tank and shut it. Ritesh then called his elder brother Dinesh, who was in Jagdalpur, and Suresh Chandrakar as well as other kin. Ritesh, Ramteke and Dinesh met at Bodli [a village between Bijapur and Jagdalpur] and conspired to destroy evidence,” the official said.

They went to different places to dispose of the weapon used in the crime and Mukesh Chandrakar’s mobile phone, he said.

“Ritesh told his elder brother Dinesh to cast fresh slab over the septic tank and left for Raipur in the vehicle of his elder brother Suresh Chandrakar. Thereafter, Ritesh left for New Delhi from Raipur on January 2,” he said.

After Mukesh Chandrakar went missing at around 8:30 p.m. on January 1, his elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar lodged a complaint with the police the next day.

Kin and media colleagues of Mukesh Chandrakar were spoken to about the disappearance, after which mobile phone tower locations of the suspects were retrieved, the IG said.

“Based on the deceased’s last known location, the premises of contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara were inspected on January 2 but nothing was found. On January 3, the newly floored septic tank near the badminton court at Suresh Chandrakar’s premises was examined. We found Mukesh’s body in it,” he said.

“He had injuries on the forehead, back, stomach and chest caused by a hard and blunt object. A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder, disappearance of evidence and other offences. Four teams are trying to nab Suresh Chandrakar,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Congress communication wing chief Sushil Anand Shukla claimed Suresh Chandrakar was inducted into the BJP last year and that there were photos of him with ruling party leaders.

“Suresh Chandrakar visited CM House 10 days ago. CCTV footage of CM House and visitors’ list for the past 15 days must be made public. Why is corruption of Suresh Chandrakar exposed by Mukesh not being discussed? Is it possible to make 90% advance payment in a road contract of ₹120 crore without protection of ministers and people in power,” Mr. Shukla asked.

He sought resignation of Deputy CMs Sharma and Sao apart from ₹1 crore as compensation to Mukesh’s kin.

Earlier in the day, journalists protested at Raipur Press Club.

New Delhi:

Three people, including two relatives, have been arrested for the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was found in a septic tank in a shed owned by a contractor in Chattisgarh’s Bastar division on Friday.

Chandrakar, an independent journalist who was also a contributing reporter for NDTV, was last seen leaving his home in Bijapur’s Pujari Para on New Year’s Day and his brother, Yukesh, had filed a missing complaint the next day. After beginning an investigation, police found the 32-year-old’s body in Chhatan Para Basti, not very far from his home.

Ritesh Chandrakar, Mukesh’s cousin, was arrested from Raipur airport on Saturday while Mahendra Ramteke, a supervisor, and Dinesh Chandrakar, another relative of Mukesh, were taken into custody from Bijapur. Contractor Suresh Chandrakar, the alleged mastermind behind the murder, is on the run.

Spur Of The Moment Or Pre-Planned?

Police said Chandrakar had dinner with his cousin Ritesh and Mahendra Ramteke in Suresh’s shed and an argument broke out between them. Ritesh and Mahendra allegedly attacked Chandrakar with an iron rod, killing him on the spot, and then hid his body in a septic tank, sealing it with cement to conceal the crime. They also disposed of Mukesh’s phone and the weapon used in the murder. 

Dinesh, the other relative who was arrested, allegedly supervised the cementing of the tank. 

A post-mortem report revealed that Chandrakar had been attacked with a hard object, suffering severe injuries to his head, chest, back, and stomach. His body was identified through a tattoo on his hand.

Officials said the nature of the injuries and the cementing of the tank indicate that the crime was premeditated. 

Investigation

Four police teams are tracing the contractor, Suresh Chandrakar, and Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P has constituted an 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to leverage scientific and technical evidence and build a watertight case. Four bank accounts linked to Suresh have been frozen and an illegally constructed yard owned by him has been demolished.

“The SIT will ensure a thorough investigation, and we will prosecute the accused promptly,” Inspector General Sundarraj said. 

‘Painful’

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, has termed Mukesh Chandrakar’s murder “terrible, painful, and utterly wrong”.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, he said a series of strong and swift actions are being taken to ensure justice is done. 

The Editors Guild of India said the journalist’s “suspected murder” was disturbing and emphasised that he had recently “reported on an alleged road construction scam that prompted local authorities to investigate some contractors”. 

“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 safety of journalists – especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas – is of paramount importance, and 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,” the Guild said in a statement.