Bijapur: Chhattisgarh Public Works Department (PWD) has suspended the registration of construction contractor Suresh Chandrakar, the main accused in the murder of a 33-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Bijapur district, officials said on Tuesday, January 7.
Chandrakar went missing on January 1. His body was found on January 3 in a septic tank on a property owned by Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town, police earlier said.
Suresh Chandrakar, who was absconding since the murder came to light on January 3, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Hyderabad on Sunday night, police said.
After his arrest, the chief engineer of PWD Bastar circle, Jagdalpur, recommended suspending the registration of Suresh Chandrakar, who was enrolled as ‘A’ category contractor with the department, an official here said.
Based on the recommendation, the department suspended his registration on January 6, the PWD official added.
Suresh Chandrakar’s brothers Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke have already been arrested in the case, he said.
Heart torn out, liver split into pieces: Journalist autopsy report
The journalist’s autopsy report revealed the horrific nature of his murder, confirming he was brutally tortured.
The postmortem examination showed that the Chhattisgarh journalist suffered 15 head fractures, a broken neck, a torn heart, and liver that was split into four pieces. In addition, five ribs and several neck bones were broken, and one of his hands had a fractured bone. The damage to his heart was extensive, and there were 15 injuries to his head, The Week reported.
Mukesh’s body was identified by a tattoo on his hand.
Chhattisgarh journalist murdered over ‘corruption report’
A news report highlighting alleged corruption in a road construction work in Bijapur, that was shown on NDTV on December 25, is being discussed as the motive behind Mukesh Chandrakar’s murder. The said construction work was linked to contractor Suresh Chandrakar.
Mukesh Chandrakar worked as a freelance journalist for the national news channel and also ran a YouTube channel, ‘Bastar Junction’, which has some 1.59 lakh subscribers.
He played a crucial role in the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur in which 22 security personnel were martyred.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialised jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
