An SIT formed to investigate the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, has filed a charge sheet. This comprehensive 1200-page document implicates contractor Suresh Chandrakar and three others. In addition, 72 individuals have been called as witnesses in this case. Mukesh Chandrakar was tragically murdered this January, with his body discovered in a septic tank on January 3. This prompted the formation of the SIT for a thorough investigation.
The Additional Superintendent of Police in Bijapur, Mayank Gurjar, revealed that the charge sheet includes the names of Suresh Chandrakar, Ritesh Chandrakar, Dinesh Chandrakar, and Mahendra Ramteke. They face charges under IPC Sections 103 (murder), 238 (destroying evidence or providing false information to protect a culprit), 61 (criminal conspiracy), and 250 (accepting a bribe to shield a criminal from punishment).
During the investigation, both digital and physical evidence were meticulously examined and documented in the case diary. Efforts are underway to ensure the accused receive stringent punishment from the court. Mukesh Chandrakar, a 33-year-old freelance journalist, disappeared on January 1, with contractor Suresh Chandrakar emerging as the prime suspect. Following his arrest, his brothers, Ritesh and Dinesh Chandrakar, were apprehended from different locations.
According to the SIT, Suresh Chandrakar was irked by reports exposing corruption in his road construction projects. Just four days before the incident, on December 27, he withdrew a significant sum from his bank account. Mukesh Chandrakar's body was discovered on January 3 in a septic tank on Suresh’s property in Bijapur's Chattanpara area. The police apprehended him on January 5 in Hyderabad, followed by the arrest of his brother and a supervisor.
Source: aajtak
Ritesh and Mahendra attacked Mukesh Chandrakar with an iron rod in Room 11, causing fatal injuries. His body was then concealed in a septic tank covered with concrete. Dinesh Chandrakar arrived on the night of January 1 to assist in hiding evidence and facilitate the accused's escape according to Suresh's plan. Suresh's absence from the city during the incident was premeditated to deflect any suspicions.
Under the conspiracy, Ritesh, Dinesh, and Mahendra discarded Mukesh Chandrakar’s two phones into the Tumnaar River, approximately 65 kilometers from Bijapur. Before disposing of them, they damaged the phones using stones. During questioning, Suresh Chandrakar admitted that Mukesh was his relative and had been publishing reports against him on his channel, which spurred investigations into his activities, causing him considerable distress.
