Key accused in Chhattisgarh journalist's murder case arrested
What's the story
Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Hyderabad on Sunday night.
The arrest comes after an extensive search operation where over 200 CCTV footages were reviewed and nearly 300 mobile numbers were traced.
Suresh had been evading capture since the incident came to light and was found hiding at his driver's residence in Hyderabad.
Investigation progress
Journalist's body found in septic tank, 3 others arrested
Mukesh's body was found last week in a septic tank at a property owned by Suresh in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division.
The journalist had gone missing on New Year's Day after leaving his home in Bijapur's Pujari Para.
Apart from Suresh, authorities have also arrested three others involved in the case: Ritesh Chandrakar (Suresh's brother), Mahendra Ramteke, and Dinesh Chandrakar.
Public outcry
Murder sparks protests, calls for increased journalist safety
The murder has triggered protests by journalists and demands for stricter safety measures for reporters in conflict zones such as Bastar.
Manish Gupta of the Bastar Journalist Association called the incident a "dark chapter," highlighting the safety concerns for journalists in the area.
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai said he was "extremely sad and heartbreaking" over the incident. He promised, "The culprit will not be spared."
Missing journalist
Discovery of body
28-year-old Mukesh Chandrakar's body was discovered by the police on Friday after tracing his last known mobile location to the site.
Chandrakar had been missing since January 1 after receiving a call from the contractor's cousin.
His brother, Yukesh Chandrakar, reported him missing on January 2 when he failed to return home and his phones were switched off shortly after midnight.