Suresh Chandrakar, the main accused in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Hyderabad on January 5. Mukesh, who worked with a local news channel, had exposed Suresh’s alleged corruption in a Rs 120-crore road construction project in Bastar. Following this expose, the state government had initiated an inquiry into Suresh’s activities. Mukesh went missing on the night of January 1, after a meeting arranged by Ritesh Chandrakar, Suresh’s brother, at one of Suresh’s properties. His phone remained switched off, and his elder brother, Yukesh, filed a missing person report. On January 3, Mukesh’s body was found in a septic tank at Suresh’s property.
Postmortem examination revealed the horrendous details of the murder. Mukesh’s body had 15 fractures on his head, a broken neck, five broken ribs, and his heart was ripped out. Doctors also found his liver torn into four pieces. They stated they had never encountered such a brutal case in their 12 years of experience. Based on the extent of injuries, the doctors believe that more than two people must have been involved in the murder.
Police have so far arrested three people, including Suresh’s brothers, Dinesh and Ritesh Chandrakar. Suresh had been on the run since the incident came to light but was finally caught in Hyderabad. The police are still questioning other suspects, especially those from Suresh’s circle, while continuing their investigation.
Who was Mukesh Chandrakar?
Born in Basaguda, a village in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, Mukesh grew up in a region deeply affected by violence from armed militias and Maoists in the mid-2000s. His family was displaced by the violence and had to move to a government shelter in Bijapur. After the death of his father when he was just a child, Mukesh and his elder brother Yukesh were raised by their mother, an anganwadi worker. Unfortunately, she passed away from cancer in 2013, leaving the brothers to fend for themselves.
Mukesh’s interest in journalism set off when he saw his brother working as a freelance journalist. Inspired by Yukesh, Mukesh followed suit and soon developed a passion for the profession. He worked for several news channels, including Sahara, Bansal, News18, and NDTV. Mukesh earned a reputation for his ground reports from deep within the forests, areas often controlled by Naxals. His boldness covering of dangerous encounter spots, set him apart from many journalists.
A close friend and fellow journalist of Mukesh, Ranjan Das, recounts how Mukesh helped him when he moved to Bijapur in 2016. They both faced financial struggles and Mukesh invited Ranjan to stay with him in a small mud house where he paid Rs 2,200 rent. Despite their hardships, Mukesh stayed deeply passionate about his work and was especially sensitive to Adivasi issues. His reports on topics like water, forest, land rights, fake encounters, civilian deaths, poor infrastructure, malnutrition, and health problems made him famous, particularly among Adivasis. Mukesh’s dedication to his work often put him at risk. He faced pressure from the government and threats from Maoists, especially when he criticized them for destroying public property.
In addition to his journalistic work, Mukesh also started his own YouTube channel, ‘Bastar Junction’. The channel quickly gained grip, eventually reaching over 1.66 lakh subscribers. Initially, Mukesh earned small amounts from his reports, but his YouTube channel grew, bringing him around Rs 20,000 a month, and even up to Rs 50,000 at times. His life seemed to be settling into a more stable routine when tragedy struck.
In 2021, Mukesh was part of a group of journalists who successfully helped negotiate the release of a CoBRA jawan held captive by Maoists in Tekalguda. Mukesh’s reporting continued to highlight major issues, including one important story on December 25 about the poor condition of a road in Bijapur. This report prompted the government to launch an inquiry into the matter. However, the contractor for this road project was Mukesh’s own cousin, Suresh Chandrakar. According to police, Suresh was angered by Mukesh’s report, and it is believed that Suresh’s brother, Ritesh, killed Mukesh in response. Police also believe Suresh was the mastermind behind the murder.