28-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who ran a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction in Chhattisgarh, had been missing since 1st January. Notably, his investigative work had revealed financial discrepancies amounting to Rs 120 crore in a road project within the Bastar region, an area known for its Maoist insurgency, which led to the initiation of a government inquiry.
After his elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar raised the alarm, police discovered his body in a septic tank in the compound of Congress leader Suresh Chandrakar’s residential premises in Chhatanpara Basti of Bijapur. The tank had been freshly sealed with a concrete slab. The authorities suspect his murder is linked to this expose.
Meanwhile, Suresh Chandrakar who is also the victim’s cousin and a prime accused in the case was arrested on 5th January in relation to the murder after his brothers Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar were apprehended a day earlier. According to the police, Ritesh committed the crime with the aid of construction supervisor Mahendra and he further sought the assistance of his brothers in the disposal of the body.
“Ritesh was angry that despite being brothers, Mukesh was interfering in their work. This led to a heated argument,” a senior officer informed. “Ritesh was arrested in Raipur, while Dinesh and Mahendra were detained in Bijapur,” police stated. Suresh was hiding at his driver’s home in Hyderabad and was nabbed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chhattisgarh police from there. The police reviewed footage from 200 CCTV systems and tracked approximately 300 mobile numbers to track him.
Notably, the post mortem report of the deceased disclosed the severity of the brutality inflicted upon him. The doctors who performed the autopsy found four fragments of liver, five fractured ribs, 15 cranial fractures, a broken neck, and the heart ripped out. They remarked that they had never encountered a case of this nature in their 12 years of practice. According to them, the number of people involved in the murder must have been more than two people.
According to reports, the events unfolded on the evening of 1st January, approximately at 8 pm, when Mukesh received a call from Ritesh, asking him to join him for dinner at the farmhouse located in Chhatanpara Basti. The latter then voiced his discontent and criticized Mukesh for reporting on a road construction corruption case, despite their familial ties. The report addressed a scam related to road construction, implicating the Chandrakars as the contractors involved.
Mukesh, recognized for his courageous journalism in the conflict-ridden area, made significant contributions to various prominent television networks, including NDTV. A confrontation ensued between the two sides which soon turned into assault and Mukesh was struck several times with an iron rod, ultimately leading to his demise. At a recent press conference, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Sharma indicated that on 25th December, Mukesh had brought attention to substandard road construction, prompting the government to order a probe which upset Suresh who was one of the contractors.
An initial inquiry reportedly indicated that Ritesh along with Mahendra, assaulted Mukesh using an iron rod, resulting in his immediate death following a dispute that arose during dinner. Subsequently, the two concealed the body within a septic tank, sealing it with cement to hide their heinous act. They also discarded both his mobile phone and the iron rod utilized in the attack. Moreover, Dinesh oversaw the cementing of the tank, while Suresh was the mastermind behind the plan.
“In the aftermath of the murder, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai decided to send a strong message against crime and criminals in the state. It was on his directive that the administration demolished a road construction plant of the main accused,” a senior official from the Chhattisgarh government conveyed. A high-ranking official from the district administration stated that the demolished property was owned by Suresh Chandrakar, who is involved in multiple road construction initiatives and holds tenders for three separate road projects.
The official added, “The razed property was a construction yard and was made by encroaching on forest land. The place was used to make materials used in road construction work. The property was spread across over 3 acres. There were several vehicles, sheds, hardware materials and a hot mix plant. It’s a joint action taken by forest and revenue officials. We are checking if he has more illegal property. We have frozen three of his bank accounts.”
Mukesh was instrumental in facilitating the release of a the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commando who had been taken hostage by Maoists following the Tekulguda massacre in April 2021, an incident that claimed the lives of 29 security personnel. He operated as a freelancer, partnering with media outlets like NDTV and News 18, while also managing a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction, which boasts a subscriber count of more than 171K.
Media downplays Suresh Chandrakar’s connection to Congress
As the details of the horrific murder continue to emerge and the state government acts against the perpetrators, the Indian media is focused on downplaying the profound connection between Suresh Chandrakar and Congress. The prominent media outlets, such as The Times of India, The Hindu, NDTV and The Indian Express, among others notably omitted the fact that Suresh, the primary suspect, is also affiliated with the Congress party. He is identified as a contractor and even as a cousin, yet his significant political identity remained unaddressed. If one were to trust the mainstream media, it would seem that he possesses no political relationship with the Congress.
None of the aforementioned news articles included the term Congress in their coverage, nor did they reference the party in connection with Suresh, as if it were non-existent. On the other hand, others dismissed his associations as a mere claim put forth by the Bharatiya Janata Party, lacking any substantial evidence. They attempted to depict it as a political smear campaign between Congress and the BJP.
According to the Hindustan Times, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claims about Suresh’s ties to the grand old party were described as simply allegations. The report included statements from Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who confirmed that Suresh had been a leader and office bearer within Congress, however, it added a country from Congress leader Sushil Anand Shukla who denied this assertion, stating that he had joined the ruling party. A simple verification of the facts could have clarified the truth, however, the media organization opted to counterbalance instead.
Likewise, Outlook stated, “Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was a Congress leader, while the opposition alleged that he had recently joined the ruling BJP,” in yet another attempt to undermine the truth that lies beneath the facade of political allegations.
The Indian media, known for its tendency to defend the Congress party and its integral role within its ecosystem, chose to highlight every trivial detail of the case, overlooking the most critical element, Suresh’s political background, due to obvious motivations.
Congress-Suresh relationship
While the mainstream media might have sought to conceal the crucial link between Suresh and the Congress, OpIndia already brought this relationship to light, in an earlier report. A visit to his social media profiles uncovered various posts that established his ties to the Congress party. One significant Facebook post, dated 5th June 2019, showcased him adorned in a Congress scarf, alongside other party leaders, including Bhupesh Baghel, who was the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh at that time, in a poster.
Suresh Chandrakar proudly shared his courtesy meeting with Deepak Baij, the head of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, in another post.
The Congress party contended that Suresh, had left the party to join the BJP, in light of the controversy. Nevertheless, a report from Amar Ujala, dated 11th November 2024, which he posted on his Facebook page, challenged this claim. It revealed that Suresh Chandrakar, serving as the State Vice President of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress SC (Schedule Caste) Cell, was appointed as the observer for the Navapur assembly constituency during the Maharashtra assembly election.
Suresh consistently shared evidence of his connections to the Congress party on his social media platforms. However, the Indian media consciously decided not to explore the issue, thereby neglecting to inform its audience the complete truth. Interestingly, the same privilege is not extended to the saffron party. Notably, the Congress party is also trying to allege that he is no longer a member, however, the compelling evidence contradicts this claim.
