Police in Chhattisgarh on Saturday arrested three persons in connection with the alleged murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, reports said.
Three persons including the key accused Ritesh Chandrakar have been arrested. Ritesh, who was absconding after the murder, was picked up by the police from Delhi, reports added.
'Deeply disturbed'
The Editors Guild of India on Saturday said it is "deeply disturbed" by the reports of the suspected murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, a young freelance journalist from Chhattisgarh.
Chandrakar had recently reported on an alleged road construction scam that prompted local authorities to investigate some contractors.
The young journalist's death is a matter of grave concern as it raises suspicion of foul play, the Editors Guild said.
"The Editors Guild calls on the government of Chhattisgarh to spare no efforts in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book," the Guild said in a press statement.
The safety of journalists -especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas--is of paramount importance, and the Editors Guild demands that authorities across the country must do their best to ensure that no harm or hindrance is caused to any of them in discharging their professional duties, it said.
A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy. While the Editors Guild grieves Chandrakar's death, it hopes that his passing under unnatural circumstances will serve as a wake-up call and prompt better measures for journalists' protection. The country must not let Chandrakar's death go entirely in vain, the statement added.
Chandrakar was found dead in BIjapur district of Chhattisgarh, two days after he went missing while reportedly on his way to meet the brother of a local road contractor.
He went missing on January 1 following which his brother filed a missing person's report on Thursday.
Police traced his last-known mobile phone location to the premises of a local contractor. Subsequently, his body was dug out of a freshly sealed septic tank covered with a concrete slab on Friday. His body bore multiple injury marks on his head and back.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the whole matter. In a post on platform X, he said: "Mukesh ji's death is an irreparable loss for journalism and society."
"Under no circumstances will the culprit be spared. I have given instructions to arrest the criminals as soon as possible and give them the harshest punishment," he added.
Played a role in securing the release of CRPF commando
Mukesh Chandrakar, according to reports, played a significant role in the release of a CRPF commando kidnapped by Maoists during an encounter in Bijapur in 2021.
He was credited by the state police for his efforts in securing the release of CRPF commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas. Mukesh had worked as a stringer for a national news channel and ran the popular YouTube channel “Bastar Junction," which focused on Naxal-related issues in the region.