The police have made a significant breakthrough in the Mukesh Chandrakar murder case in Bijapur, arresting five officials from the Public Works Department (PWD). The arrests were made on Wednesday, following an ongoing investigation into the crime. The arrested individuals include both current and former high-ranking officials, such as Executive Engineers and a Sub-Divisional Officer, as well as a Sub-Engineer. They are being held in judicial custody for two days to facilitate questioning.
**List of Arrested Individuals:**
1. D.R. Sahu (Retired Executive Engineer)
2. V.K. Chouhan (Retired Executive Engineer)
3. H.N. Patra – Former Executive Engineer
4. Pramod Singh Kanwar – SDO Bijapur
5. Santosh Das – Sub-Engineer, Jagdalpur
**Currently in Remand:**
* Suresh Chandrakar
**Granted Anticipatory Bail:**
* B. L. Dhruv – Former Executive Engineer
* R.K. Sinha – SDO
* G.S. Kodopi – Sub-Engineer
### Body Found in Sealed Septic Tank
Mukesh Chandrakar was last seen on January 1, 2025, and was later found dead in a closed septic tank on January 3. The prime suspect, Suresh Chandrakar, who was also a contractor, was apprehended by the police in Hyderabad.
**The Underlying Motive**
As a journalist, Mukesh Chandrakar was investigating and reporting on corruption related to road construction projects in the Bijapur region, an area affected by Naxal activity. He had exposed the substandard quality of roads through his social media and video portal. The primary suspect, Suresh Chandrakar, allegedly orchestrated the murder due to the negative exposure generated by the reports, despite the familial relationship.