The body of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, missing since Wednesday, was discovered on Friday in a newly constructed septic tank near a contractor’s home in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, reported The Indian Express.

Chandrakar, who ran the YouTube channel Bastar Junction, frequently investigated and reported on corruption, tribal rights and insurgent violence in conflict-hit Bastar. His YouTube channel has 2.8 crore views and 1.5 lakh subscribers.

The journalist was last seen on New Year’s eve. When Mukesh Chandrakar’s phone became unreachable and his car was found missing, his brother Yukesh, also a journalist, filed a police complaint that prompted a search operation.

The police suspect the contractor, Suresh Chandrakar, of involvement in the apparent killing after a reported dispute over a news report, in which the journalist claimed to expose alleged corruption in a road construction project.

The Statesman quoted Manish Gupta, president of the Bastar Press Club, condemning the killing. Gupta called it a “dark chapter in the region’s history”.

He said that journalists in Bastar faced threats not only from Maoist insurgents and security forces but also from corrupt contractors and officials.

Gupta demanded an audit of the contractor’s projects to uncover possible irregularities.

Mukesh Chandrakar’s body has been sent for a post-mortem and the police are interrogating several individuals connected to the case. The Bastar Police said it will release more details as the investigation progresses.