India’s media watchdog has called for a comprehensive investigation following the discovery of a journalist’s battered body, found in a septic tank sealed with concrete.

Mukesh Chandrakar, a 28-year-old freelance journalist, had extensively reported on corruption and the decades-old Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, a central Indian state. He was also the creator of the popular YouTube channel Bastar Junction.

In a statement issued late Saturday, the Press Council of India expressed its "deep concern" over Chandrakar’s suspected murder and urged authorities to submit a detailed report on the incident.

Chandrakar’s body was recovered on January 3 after police tracked his mobile phone records in response to a missing persons report filed by his family. Three individuals have since been arrested in connection with the case.

The Maoist insurgency in India, led by Naxalite rebels advocating for the rights of marginalized indigenous communities, has claimed over 10,000 lives in the country’s resource-rich central regions over the past several decades.

Vishnu Deo Sai, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), described Chandrakar’s death as "heartbreaking" and vowed that those responsible would face the "harshest punishment."

India ranks 159th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, underscoring the dangers faced by journalists in the country.