RAIPU: A day after the deadly Maoist attack at Aranpur in strife-torn Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh held a review meeting with top officials on the law and order situation prevailing in Naxal-affected areas that are going to the polls on November 12.
On Tuesday, two policemen and a Doordarshan (DD) news cameraman Achyutanand Sahoo were killed by Maoists in an ambush in the forested terrain of Nilavaya close to Aranpur Village. A three-member DD team was on an election coverage assignment in Dantewada, about 420 km south of Raipur.
An anguished Singh condemned the Maoist attack as a "cowardly act". He directed the officials to step-up the anti-Maoist operations and ensure 'free, fair and peaceful' polls in the region.
Chief Secretary Ajay Singh, Principal Secretary to Singh, DGP AN Upadhyay, Special DG (anti -Maoist operation) D M Awasthi, ADG (Intelligence) Ashok Juneja and other senior officials were present during the review meeting.
A jawan critically injured in the attack succumbed to bullet injuries in Raipur on Wednesday. Rakesh Kaushal who was air-lifted from Dantewada to the state capital died in a private nursing home Ram Krishna Care Hospital taking the toll to four. The two jawans, Sub-Inspector Rudra Pratap Singh and an Assistant Constable Mangal Ram were killed on Tuesday by the rebels.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat is visiting Chhattisgarh on Wednesday evening to hold a review meeting with the electoral officers, district police chiefs over the poll preparedness besides the security arrangements in the sensitive areas. Besides the top state officials, the CEC will also have discussions with the representatives of recognised political parties.