
Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday, January 14, announced an aid of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who was murdered in Bijapur district earlier this month.
Talking to reporters at the helipad in police lines, Sai said a building will be constructed for scribes and named after the slain journalist. Sai said, “The deceased journalist’s family will be given Rs 10 lakh assistance. A building will be constructed for journalists, and it will be named after him.”
Chhattisgarh journalist murdered over ‘corruption report’
33-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar went missing on January 1. His body was found on January 3 in a septic tank on a property owned by road contractor Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town.
Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused, was arrested from Hyderabad on January 5, while his brothers Ritesh and Dinesh and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke were arrested earlier.
The special investigation team probing the case has said the accused, Suresh Chandrakar, the slain journalist’s relative, was enraged after the latter published a news report highlighting alleged corruption in his road construction work in Bijapur.
Mukesh Chandrakar worked as a freelance journalist for the NDTV news channel and ran a YouTube channel, ‘Bastar Junction,’ with around 1.59 lakh subscribers. He played a crucial role in the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur, in which 22 security personnel died.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialised jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma earlier claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was a Congress leader. The opposition party, however, claimed he had recently joined the ruling BJP.
The state Public Works Department (PWD) has suspended the accused road contractor’s registration and cancelled contracts allotted to him.
Autopsy report confirms brutal torture
The autopsy report of the Chhattisgarh journalist, Mukesh has revealed the horrific nature of his murder, confirming he was brutally tortured.
The postmortem examination showed that the Chhattisgarh journalist suffered 15 head fractures, a broken neck, a torn heart, and liver that was split into four pieces. In addition, five ribs and several neck bones were broken, and one of his hands had a fractured bone. The damage to his heart was extensive, and there were 15 injuries to his head, The Week reported.
The autopsy report revealed by News laundry also indicated that he was attacked with a heavy object, causing severe trauma to his head, chest, back, and stomach. Doctors who conducted the autopsy of the Chhattisgarh journalist admitted that they had never seen such brutal murder in their 12-year careers.
Protest over journalist death
Journalists held a symbolic road blockade at Hospital Chowk on National Highway 36 in the city in the morning, demanding that the contractor’s properties in Bastar division, including Bijapur, be attached and a case be registered against him.
They also demanded a death sentence for the contractor and others involved in the murder, removal of security detail for him, and sealing of his bank accounts, among other demands. The protesting journalists also sought the suspension or transfer of the Bijapur superintendent of police.
Protestors have warned of an indefinite road blockade from Sunday if their demands are not met.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday assured that the culprits would be arrested at the earliest.
Meanwhile, members of the Raipur Press Club on Friday gathered at Jai Stambh Chowk and demanded action against the killers and sought that the state government constitute a special investigation team to probe the murder.
(With inputs of PTI)