Two policemen and a cameraperson of Doordarshan were killed and two others were injured on Tuesday when around 100 naxals attacked a security patrol party in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, the police said.
Two to three naxals were also believed to be killed in retaliatory action by the security forces after the ambush in a forest area near Nilawaya village, around 450 kms from here, the police said.
The ambush was to target the CRPF patrolling team and create fear among road contractors and workers engaged in road construction works in the area, D.M. Awasthi, Director General (anti-naxal operations), told reporters here.
"Unfortunately, the media team reached there and was caught in the cross-fire,” he said.
The incident took place at around 11am when security personnel were carrying out patrolling for security of road construction work underway in the area, the officer said.
"Road construction work between Sameli and Nilawaya villages (where the attack took place on Tuesday) has been going on for past couple of months. Maoists have been opposing the construction, he said.
Giving details of the incident, Awasthi said the incident occurred when a Road Opening Party (ROP) of the CRPF was sanitising the area.
At the same time, a three-member team of Doordarshan, along with police personnel, was also heading towards Nilawaya on motorcycles, to cover news related to development works and poll preparations, he said.
The DD team from New Delhi was camping in the area from past couple of days to cover development works and polling related news, he added.
Just ahead of Nilawaya village, the media team spotted a Maoist poster put up on a tree branch and to record it, cameraperson Achyutanand Sahu went down from the motorcycle and stepped closer towards the tree, Awasthi said.
"Suddenly, Maoists, numbering around 100, opened fire on police team. Sahu was hit in the first round of fire, he said.
Security personnel immediately retaliated and a gunbattle ensued, which lasted for about 50 minutes before the naxals fled, the officer said.
Two policemen,Sub Inspector Rudra Pratap Singh and Assistant Constable Manglu, were killed while Constable Vishnu Netam and Assistant Constable Rakesh Kaushal were injured in the incident, he said.
Other two members of the DD team, including a journalist, were safe, the officer said.
The naxals then retreated into a village, with the security forces chasing them, he said.
The security forces saw two to three people being dragged away by the maoists, which indicated that they were killed in the retaliatory action, Awasthi said.
Dantewada SP Ahishek Pallav told PTI over phone that naxals took away camera of the deceased camera person and also tried to target his two other colleagues during the encounter.
After the firing started, two other media personnel of DD crawled down into a ditch on the under construction road to save themselves, he said.
Manglu provided cover to the media persons to save them but unfortunately lost his life in the process, the SP added.
After the gunbattle, the security forces recovered 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) laid by the naxals and these defused later, Awasthi said.
He said the attack was not linked to the upocoming Assembly elections but was aimed at discouraging men and contractors working on a road construction project.
"I would like to clarify once again that these two incidents -- one which took place this morning and another which took place three days back -- do not have any direct or indirect conection with the ensuing elections in the state," Awasthi said.
He said road construction work is underway at several places aross the naxal-affected areas over the last three years and this attack was aimed at thwarting the workers and contractors.
"As far as Assembly poll is concerned, we are committed to ensuring peaceful polling in Bastar region and such incidents will not lower the morale of the security forces," he asserted.
"As per the rules, each and every candidate for the polls will be provided enough security," he added.
Chief Minister Raman Singhdescribed the attack as a "cowardly" and "shameful" act.
"The martyred personnel and a camera person were discharging their duties for a national work like election. The attack on them is an attack on democracy and it is highly condemnable, Singh said in a statement.
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.
On October 27, four CRPF personnel were killed and two others were injured when Maoists blew up their bullet proof bunker vehicle in Awapalli area of Bijapur district.
The next day, a BJP leader and member of Dantewada Zila Panchayat Nandlal Mudiyami was seriously injured after ultras attacked him with sharp edged weapons at his village Palnar in Dantwada.
The state is going to polls next month and naxalites have asked voters to boycott the exercise.
The first phase of polls covering 18 constituencies of eight naxal-affected districts Bastar, Kanker Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Rajnandgaon will be held on November 12.
The remaining 72 constituencies will witness polling on November 20.
The counting of votes will take place on December 11.
