The motive for the arrest was that Mukesh had exposed corruption in laying a road by Suresh. Mukesh was murdered on 1 January by Suresh, his brother Ritesh and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke.
Published Jan 06, 2025 | 2:47 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 06, 2025 | 2:47 PM
Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar. (X)
In a major breakthrough in the murder case of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Bijapur district, the Chhattisgarh police arrested Suresh Chandrakar, a contractor and the main accused in the murder, on the night of Sunday, 5 January in Hyderabad.
The police arrested Suresh from his driver’s house in Hyderabad where he was hiding, trying to avoid arrest.
A joint team of cyber police and Special Investigation Team (SIT) swooped on him, armed with the clues they had obtained after scanning 200 CCTV cameras’ footage and tracking 300 mobile phones. The arrest was confirmed by Bastar Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P.
Bastar IG Sunder Raj P confirmed the arrest of Suresh Chandrakar in #Hyderabad.
Suresh, the main accused in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, was hiding at his driver’s residence when police apprehended him.
The arrest followed an extensive investigation involving the… pic.twitter.com/ydHz0I28hK
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) January 6, 2025
Mukesh was allegedly murdered by Suresh, his brother Ritesh and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke on 1 January after he exposed the corruption by the accused in laying a road.
The victim’s brother Yukesh, suspecting foul play, posted Mukesh’s disappearance on social media, expressing apprehension over his safety. Under pressure from the people, the police began searching for Mukesh and found his body in the septic tank on the premises of Suresh’s residence on 3 January.
An excavator pulled out the body from the septic tank. The police realised that after dumping the body in the tank, its top had been plastered to evade discovery. The Bijapur police arrested Ritesh, Mahendra, and another person Dinesh Chandrakar, who also figured in the case.
The murder of the journalist evoked the righteous indignation of the local people which forced the government to constitute the SIT and entrust the investigation. This apart, the journalist fraternity also put pressure on the government for steps to arrest the accused.
Mukesh was a freelance journalist and ran a YouTube channel, which became popular as Bastar Junction. He played an important role in helping authorities in the rescue of cobra commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Naxalites who had held him hostage in Bijapur in April 2021.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
