RAIPUR: In a significant development, Bijapur police submitted a massive 1241-page chargesheet in the district court on Tuesday against four individuals, including a contractor, in connection with the gruesome murder of 33-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar. Mukesh was killed on January 1 this year after going missing for days, allegedly due to his investigative reporting on irregularities in road construction work overseen by contractor Suresh Chandrakar—also Mukesh’s relative and the prime accused.

An 11-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Bijapur additional SP Mayank Gurjar was formed to probe the case. After an extensive investigation, the SIT named Suresh Chandrakar, Mukesh’s cousins Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar, and contractor’s employee Mahendra Ramteke in the chargesheet.

“The team has submitted over 1200 pages of detailed findings backed by physical and digital evidence. We are committed to ensuring the strictest punishment for all accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” said ASP Mayank Gurjar.

Mukesh, who had previously contributed to national media outlets, ran his own YouTube channel ‘Bastar Junction’ and had exposed corruption in local infrastructure projects, which reportedly led to his untimely death.

This move is being seen as a crucial step in securing justice for the slain journalist and addressing crimes against media personnel in the region.