Chhattisgarh CM announces ₹10 lakh aid to murdered journalist’s family

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai also said that a building will be constructed for journalists and it will be named after the deceased scribe Mukesh Chandrakar

Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to the family of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who was murdered in Bijapur district earlier this month.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai. (PTI)

Speaking to reporters at the helipad in Police Lines, Sai said, “The family of the deceased journalist will be given ₹10 lakh assistance. A building will be constructed for journalists, and it will be named after him.”

Chandrakar, 33, a freelance journalist affiliated with NDTV and managed a popular YouTube channel, *Bastar Junction*, which boasts around 1.59 lakh subscribers, had been reported missing since January 1. His body was discovered on January 3 in a septic tank at a property owned by road contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara Basti, Bijapur town.

The case led to the arrest of Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused, from Hyderabad on January 5. His brothers Ritesh and Dinesh, along with supervisor Mahendra Ramteke, were arrested earlier.

Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was affiliated with the Congress party. However, the opposition alleged that he had recently joined the ruling BJP.

In response to the incident, the state Public Works Department (PWD) suspended the registration of the accused contractor and cancelled all contracts awarded to him.

Mukesh Chandrakar had earlier played a pivotal role in securing the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021. The commando was taken hostage following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur, where 22 security personnel were killed.

CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) is a specialised jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).