Chhattisgarh journalist murdered over construction reporting

Chhattisgarh Police have filed a charge sheet in the murder case of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar. The police say he was killed over his reports on corrupt road construction in Bijapur district. The charge sheet names four accused: contractor Suresh Chandrakar, his brothers Ritesh and Dinesh, and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke. According to the police, the accused dumped Chandrakar’s body into a septic tank and tried to hide it with concrete to mislead investigators. They claim that Suresh Chandrakar, angry over the journalist's reporting, planned the murder. Mukesh Chandrakar, 33, freelanced for NDTV and ran a YouTube channel, Bastar Junction. He went missing on January 1, and his body was found two days later. Police arrested the four suspects within 72 hours after the body was discovered. A forensic team led the investigation, utilizing scientific evidence and interviewing 72 witnesses. Bijapur’s additional superintendent of police, Mayank Gurjar, stated that they aim to secure severe penalties for the accused. The charge sheet includes several charges against the suspects, such as murder and covering up the crime. The case details are being carefully documented for court proceedings.