Vishnu Deo Sai, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, on Tuesday, announced a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to the family of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who was murdered in Bijapur district earlier this month. Talking to the media at the Police Lines helipad, CM Sai said a building will be constructed for scribes and named after the slain journalist.
CM Sai said, "The family of the deceased journalist will be given Rs 10 lakh assistance. A building will be constructed for journalists, and it will be named after him." Mukesh Chandrakar (33), a freelance journalist, went missing on January 1.
Two days later, his body was found in a septic tank on a property owned by road contractor Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur. On January 5, the police nabbed the prime accused Suresh Chandrakar from Hyderabad, while his brothers Ritesh and Dinesh and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke were arrested earlier.
Accused was enraged after Mukesh exposed his corruption
According to the investigation by the special investigation team (SIT), Suresh Chandrakar, who happens to be the slain journalist's relative, was enraged after the latter published a news report highlighting alleged corruption in his road construction work in Bijapur.
Mukesh Chandrakar ran a YouTube channel, 'Bastar Junction', which has around 1.59 lakh subscribers. He played a crucial role in CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas' release from Naxalite captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur, in which 22 security personnel died.
Chhattisgarh's Deputy CM Vijay Sharma earlier claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was a Congress leader. However, the opposition party claimed he had recently joined the ruling BJP. After the incident, the state Public Works Department (PWD) suspended the accused road contractor's registration and cancelled contracts allotted to him.
(With inputs from PTI)