The horrific murder of 28-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar for exposing the corruption of Congress leader Suresh Chandrakar has left the country in shock. While the deceased journalist’s autopsy report revealed that he had sustained 15 fractures to his head, his neck was broken and his heart was ripped out, attempts are being to pass off murder-accused Congress leader Suresh Chandrakar as a BJP leader.
However, upon checking Suresh’s social media profiles, several posts were found indicating that the accused was indeed a Congress member. In one of the Facebook posts dated 5 June 2019, Suresh Chandrakar shared a poster featuring him donning a Congress scarf and other Congress leaders including then Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and other Congress leaders.
In another post, Suresh Chandrakar boasted about having a courtesy meeting with the head of the Chhattisgarh Congress Committee Deepak Baij.
Amidst the backlash, the Congress party claimed that the accused Suresh had left the party and joined the BJP, however, a November 2024 AmarUjala report and screengrab of which Suresh posted on his Facebook profile. The report dated 11th November 2024 says that Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress SC Cell’s State Vice President Suresh Chandrakar was appointed as the observer for the Navapur assembly constituency during the Maharashtra elections.
As reported earlier, Mukesh had exposed irregularities and corruption by the Congress leader in a ₹120-crore road construction project in Bastar. This prompted the BJP-led-government in the State to act against the contractor. The Chhattisgarh police arrested the primary accused Suresh Chandrakar from Hyderabad city of Telangana on Sunday (5th January). He had been on the run since Friday (3rd January).
Suresh’s brothers Dinesh Chandrakar and Ritesh Chandrakar were also apprehended by the police. The deceased journalist Mukesh Chandrakar had been missing since the 1st of January. A missing complaint was filed by his elder brother Yukesh after his phone was found switched off. Mukesh had last gone to meet Suresh’s brother Ritesh at one of the contractor’s properties.
After the murder, the Bijapur administration took swift action and razed some illegal constructions owned by Suresh Chandrakar. 3 of his bank accounts were also seized. Govt land illegally seized by the politically influential contractor was also sealed and taken back by the administration.
According to the autopsy report, the deceased journalist had sustained 15 fractures to his head. His neck was broken and his heart was ripped out. As per doctors who carried out the post-mortem of Mukesh Chandrakar, they also found 5 broken ribs and 4 pieces of liver. The doctors conceded that they had not seen such brutality in their 12-year careers.
The doctors informed that more than 2 people must have been involved in the gruesome murder. Mukesh’s body was recovered from a septic tank, which was located on the premises of Suresh Chandrakar.
