Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The body of an Indian journalist who reported on alleged corruption in the country has been found in a septic tank in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Mukesh Chandrakar, 32, went missing on New Year’s Day and his family lodged a police complaint.
His body was found on Friday at the site of a road construction contractor in the Bijapur area of the city after officers traced his mobile phone.
Three people have been arrested in connection with his death, including two of his relatives. The media watchdog demanded a thorough investigation.
Police in the Bijapur district found nothing during their first visit to the compound on January 2.
“However, after further inspection on January 3, we found Mukesh’s body in a newly lined septic tank near the badminton court,” said a senior police officer, referring to the fact that concrete slabs had been placed on the tank.
Police said his body was found with severe injuries that appeared to have been inflicted by a blunt object.
Mr. Chandrakar, a freelance journalist, has extensively covered alleged corruption in public construction projects and the decades-long Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh.
He also hosted a popular YouTube channel, Bastar Junction.
After his death, the Press Council of India demanded a report from the state government “on the facts of the case”.
The state’s chief minister described Mr Chandrakar’s death as “heartbreaking”.
In the post on XAccording to him, a special investigative team has been created to investigate the case.
Indian media reports that one of those arrested in connection with the journalist’s death is his cousin, and one of the main suspects, the owner of the complex, is on the run.
Local journalists held a protest demanding strict action against the alleged criminals.
Attacks on journalists reporting on corruption or environmental degradation are not uncommon in India.
In May 2022, Subhash Kumar Mahto, a freelance journalist known for his reporting on people involved in illegal sand mining, was fatally shot by four unidentified assailants outside his home in Bihar.
Reporters Without Borders said an average of three to four journalists are killed in India every year in connection with their work, making it one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the media.
