Hyderabad: Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the brutal murder of Chhattisgarh journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hyderabad on Sunday night. Suresh, a contractor, had been evading arrest since January 3, when the body of the 33-year-old journalist was discovered in a septic tank on Suresh’s property in Bijapur.

The SIT launched a late-night operation in Hyderabad and successfully apprehended Suresh, who had been hiding at his driver’s residence. Following his arrest, Suresh was transported to Raipur for further questioning.

In connection with the case, Suresh’s wife was also detained in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, and interrogated. Furthermore, three other individuals were arrested, including Suresh's cousin, Ritesh Chandrakar, who was captured at Raipur airport on Saturday. Mahendra Ramteke, a supervisor, and Dinesh Chandrakar, another relative, were also taken into custody in Bijapur.

Mukesh Chandrakar, an independent journalist known for exposing alleged corruption in road construction projects, went missing on January 1. His last known whereabouts were when he left his home in Bijapur's Pujari Para. The following day, his brother, Yukesh, reported him as missing. Mukesh also ran a YouTube channel called 'Bastar Junction,' which had over 1.5 lakh subscribers.

Investigations revealed that Mukesh had been in frequent contact with Ritesh Chandrakar, his cousin, and the two had met for dinner on January 1 at Suresh’s property. An argument ensued after Ritesh accused Mukesh of hindering their construction work. Police sources claim that the argument escalated, leading to Ritesh and Mahendra Ramteke killing Mukesh with an iron rod. The body was then concealed in a septic tank on Suresh’s property.

As the investigation unfolds, authorities are continuing to gather evidence, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.

IANS