Two days after he went missing in Bijapur, a journalist was found dead in a tank near the home of a local contractor, who police said had been upset with him over a news report, according to The Indian Express.
According to an NDTV Rajasthan report, the contractor is absconding. The body has been sent for postmortem.
Mukesh Chandrakar ran a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction and had previously worked on reports for several media houses. His brother had reportedly filed a missing person complaint on Thursday.
Just hours before the body was found, the journalist’s brother had also uploaded a video on Chandrakar’s channel, asking for help. “My brother is a real hero. I don’t feel like I am his elder brother today. It seems I have lost a child today,” he said.
Bijapur police had formed a special team to search for the journalist and found that a local contractor was angered by a news report that Chandrakar had done, according to the report.
During a search at the contractor’s premises, the police found the body in a septic tank near his house. The contractor is the main suspect but his role is yet to be ascertained.
Chandrakar had earlier reported on health facilities in Bijapur and Maoist violence. His last video on the channel was uploaded 11 days ago, about a kidnapping and murder carried out by Maoists.
Update on January 4
Three people were detained today in connection with Chandarkar’s death, The Hindu reported, quoting an unnamed official who said details would be “revealed later”. A special investigation team has also been formed to investigate his death.
In Raipur, journalists held a protest against Chandarkar’s death.
#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Journalists under the banner of Raipur Press Club staged a protest against the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar pic.twitter.com/tJx0Lrysop
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2025
The Editors Guild issued a statement on Chandarkar’s death, saying it “raises suspicion of foul play”.
“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 statement said.
EGI statement on the death of journalist Mr. Mukesh Chandrakar pic.twitter.com/LtOI7oYw3T
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 4, 2025
It continued: “A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy. While the Editors Guild grieves Mr Chandarkar’s death, it hopes that his passing under unnatural circumstances will serve as a wake-up call and prompt better measures for journalists’ protection. The country must not let Mr Chandarkar’s death go entirely in vain.”
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