A day after the body of 28-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was discovered in a septic tank in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, three people, including a cousin of the contractor, were arrested on Saturday.
According to a report by News18, IG Bastar P Sundarraj said that Ritesh Chandrakar, contractor Suresh Chandrakar's brother was arrested in Raipur. The police have also arrested Dinesh Chandrakar and another individual, identified as Mahendra Ramteke. However, Suresh, the contractor at the centre of the scandal, remains at large.
Mukesh recently exposed alleged corruption in a Rs 120-crore road construction project from Gangalur to Hiroli in the Bastar region. The project, whose initial tender was worth Rs 50 crore, saw it escalating to Rs 120 crore without any changes to the scope of work. The project was being handled by contractor Suresh Chandrakar, India Today reported.
Mukesh's expose prompted the state government to initiate an inquiry, creating ripples in the contractor lobby of the region.
Ritesh, who is the brother of Suresh Chandrakar, allegedly arranged a meeting of the contractor with Mukesh on the night of January 1. Following the meeting, Mukesh's phone went offline, and he was reported missing by his elder brother, Yukesh Chandrakar.
This prompted the police to initiate a search in which authorities reviewed CCTV footage and identified his last known location. His body was found on Friday in a septic tank near the property of Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara Basti.
In addition to the arrests, the district authorities have also bulldozed what they claim is an “illegal property” belonging to the main suspect in the case.
Confirming the development, a senior official from Chhattisgarh government told The Indian Express, “In the aftermath of the brutal murder of young journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai has taken a tough stance, sending a strong message against crime and criminals in the state. Following the CM’s directives, the administration swiftly demolished the house of the main accused using a bulldozer”.
Chhattisgarh CM called Chandrakar’s killing “extremely sad and heartbreaking”.
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