Chhattisgarh scribe killed for reporting road construction irregularities: Police

Tue, 18 March 2025

20:46

Mukesh Chandrakar/File image

Freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was killed for reporting irregularities in road construction work in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district and the murder was planned by a contractor along with his two brothers and a supervisor, as per a charge sheet filed on Tuesday.

To mislead the police, the accused dumped the journalist's body into a septic tank and covered it with a fresh concrete slab.

The 1,200-page charge sheet was filed in a court in Bijapur district.

It named contractor Suresh Chandrakar, (his brothers) Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar, and Mahendra Ramteke, Bijapur additional superintendent of police Mayank Gurjar said.

Suresh Chandrakar was the main accused who planned the journalist's murder after he reported irregularities in the Nelasnar-Mirthur-Gangaloor road construction work executed by Suresh and his associates, the police said.

The four accused were charged under Sections 103 (murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 61 (criminal conspiracy), 239 (intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform), and 249 (harbouring offender) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said Gurjar, heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Gurjar said the digital and physical evidence was carefully examined during the investigation and included in the case diary.

"We will try to ensure that all four accused get the harshest punishment from the court," he added. -- PTI

TOP STORIES

30 Maoists, cop killed in 2 encounters in Chhattisgarh

In a fresh offensive against Naxals, security forces killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI-Maoists in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Thursday, officials said.

25 Indians on death row in UAE, govt tells RS

The Indian government has informed Parliament that 25 Indian nationals have been sentenced to death in the UAE, but the judgments are yet to be implemented. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that 10,152 Indian prisoners, including...

X to be held responsible for content by AI tool Grok

The Indian government has said that social media platform X will be held responsible for content generated by its artificial intelligence tool Grok. This comes after users on X asked Grok questions about Indian politicians and the AI...

Will Sunita, Wilmore get overtime for longer space stay?

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space, will not receive any overtime for their extended stay, despite their spacecraft malfunctioning. NASA rules state astronauts are treated...

Grabbing of breast, breaking pyjami string not rape: HC

The order was passed by Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra on a revision petition filed by two persons who moved the court, challenging the order of a Special Judge of Kasganj by which the court had summoned them under Section 376 of IPC...