Missing journalist, 33, with over 159,000 YouTube subscribers found dead in septic tank days after exposing corruption

The body of the 33-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who had been reported missing, was found in a septic tank on a contractor's property in India on Friday (3 January), police said. A murder case has been filed, and several suspects have been taken into custody for questioning.

NDTV, citing the Bijapur Police, reported that Mukesh's body was discovered in a septic tank that had been freshly sealed with concrete. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed his condolences, saying: “The news of the murder of Bijapur's young and dedicated journalist Mukesh Chandrakar ji is very sad and heartbreaking. Mukesh ji's demise is an irreparable loss for journalism and society.”

He added: “The culprit will not be spared under any circumstances. I have given instructions to arrest the criminals as soon as possible and ensure the harshest punishment for them.”

Mukesh was last seen on the evening of January 1. His elder brother, Yukesh Chandrakar, a television journalist, filed a missing person report with the police the following day.

Based on mobile tracking, police located Mukesh’s body on the property of contractor Suresh Chandrakar in Chattanpara Basti. Yukesh's complaint mentioned a recent story Mukesh had reported, highlighting alleged irregularities in the construction of a road from Gangaloor to Nelasanar village.

The report prompted an investigation into the project, and Yukesh cited threats from three individuals, including contractor Suresh Chandrakar. A police statement issued on Friday, cited by The Hindu revealed that the post-mortem report is pending.

Mukesh had a decade of journalistic experience and worked as a stringer for a prominent national news channel as well as running a popular YouTube channel, Bastar Junction, which had over 159,000 subscribers. His channel featured videos on various aspects of the conflict between the State and the Maoists, as well as highlighting issues important to the tribal community.