IJU Demands Speedy Justice for Slain Bastar Journo

KalimNews, New Delhi/Raipur, 5 January 2025: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) joins its affiliate, the Chhattisgarh Shramjeevi Patrakar Kalyan Sangh, in demanding that the Chhattisgarh government immediately apprehend the main accused in the brutal murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Bijapur. Along with the three other accused (two of whom are relatives), the perpetrators must be meted out the harshest punishment. The IJU also demanded that the Journalist Safety & Security Act, which has been pending for the past two years awaiting the Governor’s signature, be immediately notified.

The murder of 31-year-old Mukesh hit national headlines. He was a contributing reporter for NDTV and ran a YouTube channel that exposed roadways scams in Bastar. He went missing on Wednesday, and his bludgeoned body was found in a septic tank on Friday in a shed owned by contractor Suresh Chandrakar, a relative and the main accused in the murder. Mukesh had exposed corruption in the roadworks that Suresh was overseeing.

Condemning the murder, CSPKS President Asif Iqbal and General Secretary BD Nizami stated that journalists are being constantly targeted in Bastar, with no fear of law among those engaged in corruption in government contracts. They cited the case of four journalists from Bastar, who, in August, went to expose illegal sand mining but were trapped by the police and a contractor who planted 15 grams of cannabis in their car. While they were granted bail, they still have to appear in court in bordering Andhra Pradesh.

In a statement, IJU President and former member of the Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak, and Secretary General and IFJ Vice President Sabina Inderjit, said it is tragic that journalists must pay with their lives for doing their job and exposing the malaise of corruption. While the State Home Department has set up an SIT to probe the case, demolished Suresh’s illegal shed, and frozen four of his bank accounts, the IJU believes that these actions are not enough. The union demanded that the harshest punishment be meted out to the accused. Not only should Suresh’s contracts be canceled, but all government officials involved must be investigated. Furthermore, one of Mukesh’s family members should be given a government job.