Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, has been apprehended by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hyderabad.
The arrest follows an intense manhunt after Chandrakar, a contractor by profession, went into hiding following the discovery of the journalist’s body on January 3.
Mukesh Chandrakar, a 33-year-old freelance journalist, was reported missing on January 1.
His body was found in a septic tank on a property owned by Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara Basti, Bijapur town, on January 3.
The SIT, which was formed to investigate the murder, located Suresh Chandrakar in Hyderabad late Sunday night.
The investigation into the case suggests that Mukesh Chandrakar's murder may be linked to a news report broadcast on NDTV on December 25, which exposed alleged corruption in a road construction project in Bijapur.
The project was allegedly associated with Suresh Chandrakar.
Read more: Chhattisgarh journo’s murder: Cousin among key accused held
Three other individuals have already been arrested in connection with the crime. Suresh’s brothers, Ritesh and Dinesh Chandrakar, along with supervisor Mahendra Ramteke, were taken into custody earlier.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma had claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was affiliated with the Congress party, while the opposition has countered this, alleging that the accused had recently joined the ruling BJP.
The case has sparked widespread outrage, with the murder of a journalist drawing attention to the alleged nexus between contractors and corruption in the state.
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