‘Raises suspicion of foul play’: Editors Guild after Bastar journalist found dead in septic tank
The safety of journalists, especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas, was of paramount importance, said the press body.
The Editors Guild of India on Saturday said that the death of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was discovered in a septic tank near a contractor’s home in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur a day earlier, was a matter of “grave concern” and “raises suspicions of foul play”.
Chandrakar, who ran the YouTube channel Bastar Junction, frequently investigated and reported on corruption, tribal rights and insurgent violence in conflict-hit Bastar.
The police suspect that a contractor named Suresh Chandrakar was involved in the journalist’s apparent killing after a dispute over a news report, in which Mukesh Chandrakar had claimed to expose alleged corruption in a road construction project.
In a press note on Saturday, the Editors Guild of India said that it was “deeply disturbed” by the reports of Mukesh Chandrakar’s alleged murder. It urged the Chhattisgarh government to “spare no efforts in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book”.
The safety of journalists, especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas, was of paramount importance, the guild said. “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,” said the press body.
It added: “A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy.”
The guild said it hoped that Mukesh Chandrakar’s death would serve as a “wake-up call” and prompt better measures for journalists’ protection.
Mukesh Chandrakar was last seen on New Year’s eve. When his phone became unreachable and his car was found missing, his brother Yukesh, also a journalist, filed a police complaint that prompted a search operation and resulted in the recovery of his body.
Three persons detained: Police
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Police said that three persons were detained in connection with Mukesh Chandrakar’s death, PTI reported.
“Three persons have been detained in connection with the murder and are being interrogated,” the news agency quoted an unidentified officer as saying on Saturday.
The officer, however, did not disclose their names and said that the details would be revealed later in the day, according to PTI.
