Press Club of India & Indian Women’s Press Corps Condemns the Murder of Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, Demands Time-Bound Action
New Delhi: The Press Club of India is shocked to learn about the murder of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) based young freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar.
The Press Club of India and Indian Women Press Corps strongly condemn the killing and demand time-bound action against the perpetrators. In a press statement issued today the the president of Press Club of India and Secretary General Gautam Lahiri and Neeraj Thakur has also requested the Press Council of India to take cognisance of the matter and demand that the state government take appropriate action immediately. The statement said that in this hour of grief and loss, the Press Club of India extends its sincere condolences to the family members as well as friends.
Chandrakar ran a popular YouTube channel called Bastar Junction, apart from writing and reporting for different media houses on the issues of corruption, tribal rights and
insurgent violence in conflict-hit Bastar. As per the local police, the body of the 31-year-old journalist, who had been reported missing since January 1, was found in a septic tank on a contractor’s property in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on Friday.
The attacks on and killings of journalists reporting from Bastar division of Chhattisgarh 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 said the statement of PCI.
The Press Club of India is planning to hold a condolence cum protest meeting on the premises of the
Club early next week. Journalists, especially those who have been covering the region are requested to join.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of Congress and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi also expressed her serious concern and strongly condemned the brutal murder of the journalist Mukesh Chandrakar writing on X : The news of the murder of Bastar, Chhattisgarh journalist Mukesh Chandrakar is shocking. According to reports, Mukesh was brutally murdered after he exposed corruption in his report. I demand from the state government that strict and immediate action should be taken in this case, the culprits should be given severe punishment and proper compensation and job should be considered for the family of the deceased. Humble tribute wrote Priyanka on X.
