Mukesh Chandrakar, a journalist from Bastar, paid the ultimate price for exposing corruption in the region. His investigation revealed a scam where a ₹50 crore tender was inflated to ₹120 crores, while also uncovering 32 potholes that were being ignored by local authorities. But the truth came at a cost. On December 28th, Mukesh met Suresh Chandrakar, a key figure in the corruption scandal. That meeting, his colleagues later believe, sealed his fate.
"We went to the police station and filed a report when we found out Mukesh was missing," shared one of his fellow journalists. Days later, using Google, they traced his last location to Suresh's house. The search led them to a body that had been hidden.
"Mukesh’s report brought the truth to light, but it also cost him everything," said his colleague.
The Quint interviewed three journalists from Bastar—Ganesh Mishra, Pinaki Ranjan Das, and Chetan Kapewar—who were also friends of Mukesh Chandrakar. They spoke to us about the cost of journalism in Bastar and the daily fight for survival. Local journalists face threats from both the police and Naxalites, with no insurance, low pay, and constant fear. Yet, they continue to risk their lives, knowing their work is essential to amplifying voices that need to be heard.