IAF choppers made 404 sorties to ferry polling staff in Naxal-hit Bastar in Chhattisgarh: Official
Raipur (PTI): The Indian Air Force conducted 404 sorties with eight MI-17 choppers for six days, ferrying polling parties along with voting machines in Naxal-affected Bastar division during the recently held first phase of Chhattisgarh polls, a senior election official said on Friday.
Twelve constituencies of Bastar division were among 20 assembly segments in Chhattisgarh that went to the polls in the first phase on November 7. A high voter turnout of 78 per cent was recorded in these 20 seats.
The Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer wrote on X on Friday, "Defying all challenges, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted 404 sorties with Eight MI 17s, securely ferrying 853 polling team members to and from 43 locations, enabling a successful electoral process in a tough LWE-affected region. Salute to the India Air Force."
More than 860 polling party members were sent through MI-17 helicopters to 156 polling stations in five districts of Bastar division Sukma, Bijapur, Kanker, Dantewada and Narayanpur from November 4 to 6 for voting on November 7, Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P told PTI.
After the voting, all the presiding officers along with electronic voting machines (EVMs) and members of the polling teams were brought back to the respective district headquarters in a phased manner over the next three days. The evacuation exercise was completed by November 9 evening, he said.
As per the pre-determined action plan, arrangements were made by the local administration or police or security forces to accommodate the polling personnel in nearby security camps and other appropriate places during polls, he said.
The IG expressed his gratitude to the IAF for its 6-day-long effort to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.
There have been several instances of Naxalites firing on helicopters in Bastar, Dantewada and Sukma districts of the region in the past.
In the 2008 assembly elections, Naxalites fired on an IAF chopper soon after it took off from Pedia village in Bijapur with voting machines and personnel. Flight engineer sergeant Mustafa Ali was killed in the cockpit in the attack. The aircraft's captain, squadron leader T K Choudhary, managed to take off despite bullets partially damaging the chopper's rotorcraft and landed in Jagdalpur.
The remaining 70 of the total 90 assembly seats in the state will go to polls in the second phase on November 17.
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Shivamogga tense after boy murdered outside school
Shivamogga (PTI): A 16-year-old boy was murdered outside a government school in Sulaebailu here, sparking tension in the area, police said on Tuesday.
Following the incident, a large police force was deployed in the city.
The incident occurred after Sanketh (16), an SSLC student of the Government High School at Uragadooru, attended a special class ahead of examinations.
Superintendent of Police Nikhil B told reporters that Sanketh intervened in an argument involving a group of boys outside his school.
“Some friends who were known to him — they had earlier studied in the same school — were involved. They are also minors. They hit him with their hands. Immediately after being struck, he collapsed. After he fell, by the time he was taken to the hospital, we came to know that he had died,”
"... he was struck near the chest. Due to that blow, he collapsed on the spot,” the SP said.
Two minors have been taken into custody in this connection.
“We are also gathering information about others involved in the incident. Whoever is found to be involved, we will initiate legal action against them as well,” the official added.
On the possible motive, the SP said the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
“We do not have complete information about that. Once we conduct a detailed inquiry, we will know. Some people are saying it may have been over a trivial matter. However, we cannot confirm that at this stage,” he said.
The incident took on a communal undertone, prompting authorities to deploy heavy police reinforcements across the city to maintain order and prevent escalation.
BJP MLA from Shivamogga, S N Channabasappa, also visited the hospital.
