RAIPUR: Three people were on Saturday arrested in connection with the murder of 32-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Bijapur district under south Bastar in Chhattisgarh, police said.
Two of the arrested people are kin of the deceased, police said.
The arrested people were identified as Ritesh Chandrakar, Dinesh Chandrakar and Mahendra Ramtek, while another suspect Suresh Chandrakar was absconding, police said.
A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to further probe the incident, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj said.
The slain journalist has recently exposed an alleged corruption scandal involving a Rs 120 crore road construction project from Gangaloor to Nelsanar village in Bastar.
The project was being handled by contractor Suresh Chandrakar, also his relative.
Preliminary police investigation has found that the deceased scribe had gone to his cousin Ritesh’s place in Bijapur in the night of January one when he went missing.
His brother Yukesh had filed a missing report with the local police station on January two.
Police probe suggested that the slain journalist was beaten with iron roads after having dinner with Ritesh till he died.
He was later dumped inside a septic tank in the premises of the house.
Police later recovered the body from the septic tank.