Mukesh Chandrakar.
Credit: X/@MukeshChandrak9
New Delhi: Journalist bodies, including Press Club of India (PCI), Editors Guild of India and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), on Saturday demanded a “serious investigation” into the murder of a young journalist in Chhattisgarh's Bastar following his reportage on corruption in road projects.
Mukesh Chandrakar (31), who ran a popular YouTube channel 'Bastar Junction' besides writing in publications and has been missing since January 1, was murdered and his body was found in a septic tank on a contractor's property in Bijapur on Friday.
The PCI and Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) in a joint statement said the attacks on and killings of journalists in Bastar are “not new but the impunity with which such incidents are being carried out is unacceptable” and must be addressed effectively.
The state government should immediately look into the long-standing demand of local journalists to enact a law to protect journalists, it said. The PCI is planning a condolence and protest meeting next week while demanding that the Press Council of India take cognisance and press the Chhattisgarh government to take appropriate action.
The DUJ along with National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ), Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists Federation(APWJF) and the Delhi unit f Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) also issued a statement said the year 2025 has begun on an "ominous note, with the shocking murder of a journalist".
Recalling that one cannot forget that at least 28 journalists have been killed in India since 2014, they said in most cases investigation and prosecution have been poor, leaving desperate families to fight cases in the courts for years together.
“Journalists in Chhattisgarh face many challenges and are frequently caught between pressures from state agencies and Maoist groups. The lack of protection and the lack of action to stop atrocities make media persons extremely vulnerable,” the statement said, demanding compensation for the family.
The Editors Guild said the young journalist's death is a “matter of grave concern as it raises suspicion of foul play” and urged the government to "spare no efforts" in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book.
The safety of journalists, especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas, is of paramount importance, it said, while demanding that authorities across the country must do their best to ensure that no harm or hindrance is caused to any of them in discharging their professional duties.
“A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy. While the Editors Guild grieves Chandrakar's death, it hopes that his passing under unnatural circumstances will serve as a wake-up call and prompt better measures for journalists’ protection. The country must not let Chandrakar's death go entirely in vain,” the statement said.
The Press Association, an organisation of central government accredited journalists, also condemned Chandrakar's murder, saying the circumstances suggested "foul play" in the incident, raising serious concerns about the safety of journalists investigating corruption.
It also demanded the central and state governments to implement comprehensive security measures to protect working journalists.