A CRPF patrolling party and a TV crew of public service broadcaster Doordarshan came under the attack by the Naxalites in the Aranpur area of Dantewada district this morning. Two CRPF personnel and a cameraman were martyred by the Naxals. The attack comes two days after the Naxals assaulted BJP leader Nandan Mudami and grievously injured him in the Palnar district of Dantewada.
The police has said that an SIT is being formed to look into the matter. “The police and administration is taking the matter seriously. An SIT is being formed for further investigation. We will probe this incident from all angles,” said SP Chatra, Akhilesh Variar. He added that this is a sensitive case and the police is dealing with it sensitively with the highest level of monitoring and supervision
As per the reports, a team of Doordarshan news channel had gone to Dantewada to record a documentary film in the Naxal-affected area where elections are due to be held for the first time when the Maoists ambushed and attacked them. The slain Doordarshan cameraman is identified as Achyuta Nanda Sahu.
The police chief of Dantewada, DIG P Sudarraj, said that the Naxals ambushed a patrolling party near Aranpur in which two personnel were martyred and a DD cameraman got injured who later succumbed to his injuries. He added that the incident had exposed the “true face of the Naxals.”
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It is being assumed that the ambush was planned to attack the CRPF personnel, however, the media crew which was present at the spot, also came under attack.
This is the third attack by the Naxals in last 4 days. On Saturday last week, the Naxals had ambushed a bullet-proof bunker vehicle (BPV) killing 4 CRPF personnel and severely injuring 2 of them.
As the election dates in Chhatisgarh is approaching, the Naxals have evidently upped the ante in carrying out nefarious activities to disrupt the law and order in the state. Last month, they had installed posters in Bastar and Kanker region threatening people with dire consequences if they went out to vote.
Chhattisgarh goes to polls in two phases. In the first phase, Naxal affected districts namely Bastar, Kanker Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Rajnandgaonareas will go to polls to be held on November 12 and the remaining 72 constituencies will go to polls on November 20.