Supporters hold candlelight vigil for Mukesh Chandrakar and demand justice for the slain journalist.
Chandrakar, who was part of the Mahar community in the Indian city of Bijapur, was known for his coverage of corruption. He worked for the TV news channel NDTV and runs a YouTube channel “Bastar Junction”, which has 170,000 subscribers.
RD Jhari, who spoke for the Mahar community at Sunday’s vigil, told the media, “We want a safe environment for journalists so that they can work freely and without any fear.”
In the wake of the murder, the Press Club of India – one of the largest media organizations in the country – demanded that the government take protective measures for media workers.
The body of 33-year-old Chandrakar was found in a septic tank on January 3. His brother had filed a missing report with the police on January 1, stating that the journalist was receiving threats.
According to local media reports, Chandrakar’s body showed evidence of a brutal attack, leaving him with broken ribs and a fractured skull.
Chandrakar had recently investigated a road construction scam in Bijapur, which resulted in an official investigation of the contractors.
Local media quoted the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh state as saying that police suspected the murder was directly linked to the coverage. He said the journalist’s report on corruption was broadcast on December 25 and it was possible that this coverage was the reason for the attack. He said charges are expected to be filed within a week.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai condemned the murder and the state government has formed a special investigation team. At least three arrests have been made so far.
One of the men has been identified as Suresh Chandrakar, a distant relative of the journalist, who was reportedly upset with the state government’s investigation into the construction project after corruption was exposed, according to local media.
Police spent hours tracking down security videos and phone records before arresting Suresh Chandrakar.
The killing was widely condemned by media groups in India. As well as investigating corruption, Mukesh Chandrakar was known for his reporting on the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency in India.
Press Club of India President Gautam Lahiri told VOA that this case is not the first case of murder of a journalist in Chhattisgarh.
Lahiri said the press club was demanding “strict and prompt” action.
He said the government needs to do more to protect journalists and act on the long-standing demand for better laws to ensure the safety of media members.
Lahiri said, “The Press Club of India is raising its voice for the safety of journalists.” He said the press club demands that the central and state governments “ensure the safety of journalists in the country.”
The Editors Guild of India, in a letter, described the murder as a matter of grave concern. The guild demanded that the state government “leave no stone unturned in expeditiously investigating the matter and bringing the culprits to justice.”
Media watchdogs have been expressing concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in India under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Journalists covering corruption in remote areas are considered the most vulnerable.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 24 journalists have been murdered in connection with their work in India over the past decade. The media freedom organization is investigating nine more cases to see if the reporting was a motive.
Those cases also include Bihar-based journalist Subhash Kumar Mahato, who covered illegal mining. Mahato was shot in May 2022.
India ranks 159th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index, with 1st being the best environment.
Indian officials deny any threat to press freedom and say the media enjoy complete freedom in the country.
This story originates from VOA’s Urdu Service.