Chhattisgarh journalist murder: Main accused Suresh Chandrakar arrested from Hyderabad

Investigation revealed that on January 1, a heated argument over alleged interference in Suresh Chandrakar's work led to the victim's murder.

Updated on: Jan 6, 2025, 09:43:43 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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The Chhattisgarh police arrested the local contractor Suresh Chandrakar who was the main accused in murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, officials said on Monday.

Suresh Chandrakar was arrested in the early hours of Monday from Hyderabad, police said.

“The main accused of Mukesh Chandrakar’s murder , the local contractor Suresh Chandrakar, was arrested by SIT from Hyderabad in the wee hours of Monday. Interrogation of the accused is going on,” a statement issued by Bijapur police stated.

Earlier on Saturday, Suresh Chandrakar’s brother Ritesh Chandrakar, supervisor Mahendra Ramteke and Dinesh Chandrakar, were arrested by police.

On Saturday, police had also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under additional superintendent of police, Bijapur, for further investigation in the case.

The body of Mukesh Chandrakar, 33, who went missing on January 1, was discovered in a freshly sealed septic tank at contractor Suresh Chandrakar’s premises in Chattan Para area on January 3. The victim had multiple injuries on his head, back, stomach, and chest, inflicted by hard and blunt objects, police said.

The investigation began when Mukesh’s elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar reported his disappearance to the Kotwali Police Station at 7:30 PM on January 2, nearly 24 hours after he was last seen.

The case took a political turn with deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma identifying the main accused, Suresh Chandrakar, as a Congress leader and office bearer. However, Sushil Anand Shukla, president of the Pradesh Congress Communication department, countered this claim, alleging that Suresh Chandrakar had recently joined the BJP and was welcomed by the party’s former district president G Venkat.

Mukesh Chandrakar was a local reporter working for NDTV and other news channels. He also ran a YouTube channel, ‘Bastar Junction,’ which had over 159,000 subscribers. He played a crucial role in securing the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021.

The murder investigation revealed that on January 1, around 8pm, a heated argument erupted between the victim and Ritesh Chandrakar regarding alleged interference in Suresh Chandrakar’s work.

Deputy CM Vijay Sharma on Saturday suggested that a recent news report on NDTV highlighting alleged corruption in road construction work in Bijapur may have been the motive behind the murder.

A PWD probe was initiated following the report, which aired on December 25.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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