Chhattisgarh: Two police personnel and a Journalist were killed when Maoists suddenly attacked them in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh state, where election are slated to take place next month, according to information reaching here.
The incident took place around 11 am today in a forest area near Nilawaya village, Deputy Inspector General, anti-naxal operations, Sundarraj P said. The Maoists ambushed a squad of local police which was carrying out patrolling on motor cycles from Sameli camp towards Nilawaya this morning. A three-member team of Doordarshan was travelling for election-related news coverage at the same time and was caught in the cross-fire. In the attack, Sub Inspector Rudra Pratap Singh, Assistant Constable Mangalu and DD News cameraman Achyutanand Sahu were killed, the DIG said.
Sahu had come from New Delhi for the election coverage. Other two members of the DD team, including a journalist, were safe, the officer said. Constable Vishnu Netam and Assistant Constable Rakesh Kaushal sustained injuries in the gunfight. The injured were admitted to Dantewada district hospital, he said, adding that if required, they would be airlifted to Raipur for further medication.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore condemned the attack and said the insurgents won’t be able to weaken the government resolve. “Strongly condemn the Naxal attack on @DDNewsLive crew in Dantewada. Deeply saddened by the demise of our cameraman Achyuta Nanda Sahu and two jawans of @crpfindia. These insurgents will not weaken our resolve. We will prevail,” the minister tweeted.
Meanwhile, teams of Central Reserve Police Force, Special Task Force and District Reserve Guard were immediately rushed to the forest to trace the ultras, the DIG added. The state is going to polls next month and Maoists have asked voters to boycott the exercise.(NSS)
