Poll staff taken hostage

The naxalites on Monday took hostage election staff at two places disrupting voting in Bijapur assembly constituency of Dantewada district. One person was hurt in Naxal firing in Sarguja district.

The Naxalites on Monday took hostage election staff at two places disrupting voting in Bijapur assembly constituency of Dantewada district while one person was injured when ultras opened fire at voters in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh.

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Official sources said quoting preliminary reports that the PWG cadres have taken hostage the polling party of Cherkanthi and Reddy booths following which the voting has been disrupted at both the places of the Bijapur segment.

In another incident, Naxals set afire the vehicle of Mirtu zonal magistrate when he was touring the area in Bijapur constituency, sources said adding the occupants of the vehicle were safe as the ultras had asked them to vacate the vehicle.

The state election office sources said they were yet to receive a formal report of the incidents from the district returning officer at Dantewada.

Meanwhile, after an aerial survey of the area, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sant Kumar Paswan said that the naxalites attacked police parties in three different place in Bastar region and in one place triggered two land mines but no security personnel was injured.

One voter was injured on Monday in north of Chhattisgarh at Sarguja district's Uliya booth, under the Lundra constituency, when naxalites opened fire at the voters, Sarguja District Collector Sonmani Bora said.