The body of missing Indian journalist Mukesh Chandrakar has been discovered in a septic tank, reports the BBC. Chandrakar, 32, who reported on corruption, went missing on January 1 and his family subsequently filed a police report.
His body was found on a road builder’s premises in Bijapur after police traced his mobile phone. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with his death, including two of his relatives.
A media watchdog has called for a thorough investigation into Chandrakar’s death. Police had initially searched the area where the body was later found but discovered him on January 3 in a newly constructed septic tank, covered with concrete slabs.
The journalist’s body exhibited severe injuries, indicating an assault with a blunt object. As a freelance journalist, Chandrakar reported extensively on potential corruption in public construction projects and ran a YouTube channel with over 160,000 subscribers.
India has seen threats, attacks, and murders of journalists, with three journalists killed in 2024, according to the International Federation of Journalists in December. Additionally, five journalists are imprisoned, and India ranks 159th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
Source: NOS