MAOISTS KILL SCRIBE, 2 COPS IN DANTEWADA
CHHATTISGARH A team of journalists is in Bastar for election coverage; state will go to polls on November 12 and 20
: A Doordarshan cameraperson and two policemen were killed in a Maoist ambush in Dantewada district of poll-bound Chhattistgarh on Tuesday morning. Two other police personnel were also injured in the ambush that took place near Sumeli camp. The Maoists have been asking people to boycott the polls. The three-member Doordarshan team was in Bastar for election coverage and heading for reporting on a new polling booth in Nilawaya near Sumeli camp. People in Nilawaya have not exercised their voting rights for the past 20 years.
A Doordarshan cameraperson and two policemen were killed in a Maoist ambush in Dantewada district of poll-bound Chhattistgarh early on Tuesday.
Two other police personnel were also injured in the ambush that took place near Sumeli camp. Maoists have been asking people to boycott the polls.
The three-member Doordarshan team was in Bastar for election coverage and heading to a new polling booth in Nilawaya near Sumeli camp. People in Nilawaya have not exercised their voting rights for the past 20 years.
Two other DD News staffers, including a journalist from Delhi, are said to be safe. Those killed were identified as sub-inspector Rudra Pratap, assistant constable Mangalu and DD News cameraperson Achyutananda Sahu from Delhi.
Special director general (naxal operations) DM Awasthi said, “Dantewada superintendent of police Abhishek Pallav, along with his team, rushed to the spot with reinforcements.” Two-three Maoists were also killed in the exchange of fire, Awasthi added.
“During a search of the place, at least 10 IEDs (improvised explosive devices or crude bombs) planted were recovered by security forces . The ambush was to target the CRPF patrolling team and create fear among road contractors and workers engaged in road construction. Unfortunately, the media team reached there earlier and fell into the trap,” Awasthi said.
Claiming that the attack was not linked with polls, Awasthi said, “The incident should not be linked with polls as it was meant to thwart road construction work which has been going on for the past couple of years in the Maoist affected areas in the state.”
SP Abhishek Pallav said the Maoists took away the camera of the journalists. “After the firing started, two other media persons of DD crawled into a ditch on the under-construction road to save themselves. The Maoists fired on them but assistant constable Manglu tried to give them cover. He lost his life,” Pallav said.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh condemned the attack, calling it an “attack on democracy.” Minister of state (independent charge) for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “These insurgents will not weaken our resolve. We will prevail.”
Last week, four CRPF personnel were killed after Maoists used a powerful IED to target a bulletproof mobile bunker vehicle in Bijapur district. Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases, on November 12 and 20. The counting will be held on December 11.
“Road construction work between Sameli and Nilawaya villages (where the attack took place on Tuesday) was started a couple of months ago. Maoists have been opposing the construction,” Awasthi told the media.
Dheeraj Kumar, a DD journalist who survived in the attack, told Hindustan Times that firing took place for about 45 minutes .
AWASTHI’S ACCOUNT
On Tuesday morning, a Road Opening Party (ROP) of CPRF 111th battalion had launched an operation to ensure security to road construction workers. Meanwhile, a three-member team of Doordarshan, along with personnel from Aranapur police station, was also heading towards Nilawaya to cover news related to development work and poll preparations, he said. “On the way, the media team spotted a Maoist poster put up on a branch of a tree. To record, Sahu got down from the motorcycle and went close to the tree. Around 200 Maoists opened fire on the team. Sahu was hit on the first round of fire.”
The incident should not be linked with polls as it was meant to thwart road construction work... in the Maoist affected areas in the state DM AWASTHI, Special director general (Maoist operations)