(MENAFN- Live Mint) In a major development in the murder case of Mukesh Chandrakar, who was brutally killed and dumped into a septic tank in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, one of the key suspects, Ritesh Chandrakar, has been revealed to be the journalist's cousin.
He went missing on Wednesday evening, and his elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar lodged a complaint with the Police the next day. Tracking Mukesh's mobile number, police reached the property owned by one Suresh Chandrakar and found the body in a septic tank , which was freshly cast with concrete slab.
Mukesh Chandrakar was one of the interlocutors who played a key role in the release of CoBRA commando, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, abducted by Maosists after an encounter in Bijapur in 2021. He was actively covering Naxal attacks, encounters, and other issues in Bastar.
Recently, Mukesh Chandrakar had recently uncovered the alleged corruption in road construction. Originally tendered at ₹50 crore, the road construction project experienced a budget escalation despite no apparent changes. Mukesh Chandrakar highlighted it to the Chhattisgarh government which initiated the inquiry. Suresh Chandrakar is said to be involved in the work.
Mukesh Chandrakar worked as a freelance journalist for news channels, including NDTV, and ran a YouTube channel, 'Bastar Junction', which has some 1.59 lakh subscribers. Also Read | Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan murder case: Delhi High Court grants bail to four life convicts. All we know so far
Meanwhile, the police has detained three persons in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Mukesh Chandrakar.
Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai has directed bulldozer action on the house of the primary accused. Following the chief minister's directive, the authorities demolished the house main accused in the murder case of Mukesh Chandrakar.
CM Sai also extended his condolences in the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar. In a post on X, CM Sai said,“The news of the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, a young and dedicated journalist from Bijapur, is extremely sad and heartbreaking. The demise of Mukesh is an irreparable loss to the journalism world and society.”
(With agency inputs)
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