Chhattisgarh journalist murder: Main accused Suresh Chandrakar arrested from Hyderabad

Chhattisgarh journalist murder: Main accused Suresh Chandrakar arrested from Hyderabad

The primary suspect in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, local contractor Suresh Chandrakar, has been taken into custody by Chhattisgarh police. Officials confirmed that the arrest happened in Hyderabad early on Monday. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Hyderabad detained local contractor Suresh Chandrakar, the primary suspect in the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, early on Monday morning, according to a statement released by the Bijapur police. There is presently an interrogation going on.

The arrest comes after three other suspects were taken into custody on Saturday: Dinesh Chandrakar, supervisor Mahendra Ramteke, and Suresh’s brother Ritesh Chandrakar. To further investigate, officials formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that same day, headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police in Bijapur.

When the body of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, 33, was found in a recently sealed septic tank at Suresh Chandrakar’s farm in the Chattan Para neighborhood on January 3, the gruesome case came to light. Investigators found that the victim suffered many injuries from blunt, hard items. Yukesh Chandrakar, Mukesh’s older brother, reported him missing on January 2 at around 7:30 PM, almost a day after he was last seen.

Political Controversy Unfolds

The case has triggered a political scandal. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma named Suresh Chandrakar a Congress politician and office-bearer. The chairman of the Pradesh Congress Communication Department, Sushil Anand Shukla, refuted the allegation, stating that Suresh had just joined the BJP and had been greeted by previous district president G Venkat.

Possible Motive Tied to Corruption Allegations

Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who worked for NDTV and several regional networks, also operated the well-known YouTube channel Bastar Junction, which has more than 159,000 members. Mukesh, who is renowned for his unafraid reporting, had earlier helped free CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist imprisonment in 2021. According to preliminary findings, on the evening of January 1, Mukesh and Ritesh Chandrakar got into a furious altercation. According to reports, the conflict arose from purported meddling in Suresh Chandrakar’s work.

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Deputy Chief Minister Sharma speculated that the crime could have been inspired by Mukesh’s recent NDTV exposé, which was broadcast on December 25 and exposed corruption in Bijapur’s road-building projects. The Public Works Department (PWD) launched an investigation in response to the complaint. As the SIT continues its investigation, this well-known murder case continues to reveal layers of criminal and political ramifications.