Chhattisgarh: 3 arrested for Bastar journalist’s murder, victim’s cousin among accused

The Chhattisgarh Police has arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was found in a septic tank on a property owned by his distant relative and government contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Bijapur’s Chattanpara locality on Friday, reported The Indian Express.

Mukesh, 32, had recently reported on alleged corruption in a road construction project, prompting an inquiry by the state government. The newspaper said that the 52.4 km project on the Nelson-Kodoli-Mirtur-Gangalur route had been commissioned in 2010 at a cost of Rs 73 crore, but the cost rose to Rs 189 crore by 2021.

Suresh was tasked with building a section of the road in 2015. Scroll learnt that Suresh had earlier served as a special police officer from 2005 to 2007, when he was engaged primarily as a cook for a former superintendent of police.

Those arrested in connection with the Mukesh’s killing are his cousin Ritesh Chandrakar, another relative named Dinesh Chandrakar and construction supervisor Mahendra Ramteke.

The police said that Ritesh, with Mahendra’s help, killed Mukesh during a argument over the journalist’s alleged reporting on the road project. Dinesh and Suresh allegedly helped dispose of the body.

Suresh, who is absconding, had been previously awarded several public works tenders, including sections of the...

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