Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar reported on various issues in Chhattisgarh. But then, his body was found in a septic tank with grave injuries…
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00:00His body was found in a septic tank a day after his brother reported him missing.
00:04He was Mukesh Chandrakar, a 32-year-old journalist from Bijapur in Chhattisgarh,
00:09and his life was allegedly taken by his own relatives.
00:12Violence against journalists, highly concentrated media ownership and political alignment were
00:19listed as reasons for India to be ranked 159 out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index,
00:25which is published by France-based non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders.
00:30Back in Chhattisgarh, Mukesh worked as a stringer with several news channels
00:34such as NDTV and News18 and ran a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction.
00:45Mukesh was born in the Basaguda village in Bijapur and lost his father at an early age.
00:50Violence in his village forced him to live in at least two refugee
00:54camps with his Anganwadi worker mother, who passed away from cancer in 2013.
00:59Coming from an economically weak household,
01:02Mukesh sold liquor and worked as a bike mechanic to get by, according to his friend.
01:07He later became a journalist.
01:09He usually reported on corruption in public construction projects,
01:21the Maoist conflict and issues affecting the tribal people.
01:28Journalists who worked with him described him as a helpful professional
01:33who knew his way around local areas and the issues that affected them.
01:37He would sometimes porter other journalists on his bike to hard-to-reach places.
01:42The state police credited Mukesh for helping secure the release of a CRPF commando,
01:46who had been taken hostage by Maoists after an encounter in 2021.
01:51Just as he had started getting a somewhat stable income from his channel,
02:07Mukesh's life was cut short.
02:09On 25th December 2024, he reported about the poor condition of a road made under a
02:15Rs 120 crore project in Bastar, which prompted the government to launch an investigation.
02:20The contractor for this road was Mukesh's cousin, Suresh Chandrakar.
02:24According to the police, Suresh masterminded Mukesh's murder.
02:28Suresh's brother Ritesh had allegedly called Mukesh for a meeting at the spot
02:33where they had often met, but then Mukesh's phone was switched off,
02:37which made his brother Yukesh suspicious.
02:39Yukesh then filed a police complaint.
02:42The police followed Mukesh's phone location to a construction site in Chhatanpara, Basti.
02:47They found his body in a septic tank, which had been freshly covered with concrete.
02:59His post-mortem report showed 5 broken ribs, 15 fractures to the head,
03:04and his heart ripped out, among other injuries.
03:07Four people were arrested in connection with the case, with Suresh being the prime accused.
03:17Police arrested four people in connection with the case.
03:21They are being investigated directly and indirectly.
03:25The investigation has been carried out on the contractor.
03:29All his accounts have been received by the ATMs.
03:33His illegal possession has also been removed.
03:37We are investigating this case.
03:41We are investigating this case.
03:45His illegal possession has also been removed.
03:49The government is completely innocent.