The body of an Indian journalist who was reporting on alleged corruption in the country was found in a septic tank in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Mukesh Chandrakar, 32, went missing on New Year’s Day and his family lodged a police report.
His body was found in the compound of a road construction contractor in Bijapur city area on Friday after policemen tracked his mobile phone.
Three people have been arrested in connection with his death, including two of his relatives. The media watchdog requested a thorough investigation.
Police in Bijapur district found nothing during their first visit to the property on January 2.
“However, on further inspection on January 3, we discovered Mukesh’s body in a newly constructed septic tank near the badminton court,” said a senior police officer, referring to the fact that concrete slabs had been placed on top of the pit.
Police said his body showed severe injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.
Mr. Chandrakar, a freelance journalist, has reported extensively on alleged corruption in public construction projects and the decades-old Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh.
He also hosted a popular YouTube channel, Bastar Junction.
After his death, the Press Council of India sought a report “on the facts of the case” from the state government.
The state’s chief minister described Chandrakar’s death as “heartbreaking”.
In a post on Xhe said that a special investigation team was formed to investigate the case.
Indian media reports that one of those arrested for the journalist’s death is his relative, while one of the main suspects – the owner of the property – is on the run.
Local journalists held a protest demanding strict action against the alleged perpetrators.
Attacks on journalists reporting on corruption or environmental degradation are not uncommon in India.
In May 2022, Subhash Kumar Mahto, a freelance journalist known for reporting on people involved in illegal sand mining, was shot dead by four unidentified men outside his home in Bihar.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said an average of three or four journalists are killed in India every year in connection with their work, making it one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the media.
