RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma on Saturday said the govt has set up an 11-member SIT to investigate the murder of well-known Bastar journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was found in the septic tank of a road contractor in Bijapur on Friday.
Sharma, who is also the home minister, called a press conference on the murder that has shocked the nation. “Bastar police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar while prime accused Suresh Chandrakar, a civil contractor, is still at large,” he said, naming the three detainees as Suresh’s relatives Ritesh and Dinesh Chandrakar, and farmhouse supervisor Mahendra Ramteke.
On the motive for Mukesh’s murder, Sharma said that a news report on corruption in road construction was telecast on NDTV on Dec 25 last year, which prompted deputy CM Arun Sao to order an inquiry the same day. It’s suspected that this report was the cause behind Mukesh’s murder, since the alleged corruption was carried out by Suresh and his associates, who were the road contractors, Sharma said. Any other possible motive will also be investigated, he added.
Remembering his personal interactions with Mukesh and admiring his work from the interiors of Bastar, Sharma termed the incident as “disturbing and brutal”. “His murder is a big jolt to efforts to establish peace in Bastar,” Sharma said.
“The main accused in the case, Suresh Chandrakar, is a Congress leader and a party functionary of Bijapur district. He is on the run and four teams of police have been constituted to trace him,” Sharma said.
Sharma recounted the recent crimes in Surajpur, Baloda Bazar and Raipur firing case, and claimed that most of these incidents involved Congress workers and leaders. “I am not saying that all Congress leaders are criminals but why are names of Congress people surfacing in criminal cases?” he asked.
Head of Congress state communication wing, Sushil Anand Shukla, countered Sharma’s allegation and said that Suresh Chandrakar was inducted into BJP.
“Murder accused Suresh Chandrakar joined BJP. There are photos of him with senior BJP leaders of Bijapur and former BJP president of Bijapur G Venkat. Suresh also visited CM House 10 days ago and CCTV footage of CM House should be made public,” Shukla said.
‘Illegal properties of accused razed’
The SIT is led by IPS officer Mayank Gurjar, Sharma said, adding that the police will submit a chargesheet in court within 3-4 weeks. We will request the court for a speedy trial, he said. Mukesh, 33, had gone missing on the evening of Jan 1.
Police launched a search after his brother Yukesh reported him missing. Based on his last mobile location, police went to a house in Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town and found a freshly laid cement slab covering a septic tank. They found Mukesh’s body in the tank.
Prime accused Suresh is a relative of Mukesh and there are family pictures of him with the two brothers. Deputy CM Sharma said, “We have directed officials to freeze bank accounts of Suresh Chandrakar and the accused. Bijapur administration has started taking action and razed illegal properties in the region.” An illegally constructed yard in forested land was bulldozed, he said.
