Four cops killed in Naxal attack in poll-bound Jharkhand; EC appoints special police observer

Latehar (Jharkhand): Four Jharkhand Police personnel were killed in a Naxal attack in poll-bound Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Friday evening. While three personnel lost their lives on the site of the attack, a fourth one succumbed to his injuries at a hospital later.

Of the four police personnel martyred in the attack, one was a sub-inspector.

"Our police party was ambushed," Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena said. It is suspected that some Home Guard personnel may also be among the dead.

Police are trying to find out which Naxal group carried out the ambush. The attack occurred at around 8:30 pm when the police personnel, on patrol duty, were travelling in a four-wheeler near Lukiatand village under Chandwa police station area.

The attack came a day after the Election Commission defended five-phase elections in Jharkhand, saying a majority of the districts in the state were Naxal-affected and the schedule was prepared based on a report from the Home Ministry and feedback from officials.

"The Home Ministry this year in February 5 report says that the 19 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand are Left-wing Maoist-affected. The Home Ministry released Rs 775 crore for Maoist-affected districts of the country and RS 340 crore was released for Jharkhand," Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a press conference.

The Central government had recently told Parliament that Naxal activities in Jharkhand had declined by 45 per cent. Responding to a question on this statement, Arora said: "We go by written documents which is in public domain and feedback of the officials. The officials' feedback was that the Maoists could use new tactics and new ways to obstruct polls. Same was the feedback in Chhattisgarh but the polling was more than 70 per cent."

Post the Naxal attack, the EC has appointed ex-IPS officer MK Das as special police observer for Jharkhand polls. CEC Arora said Das will reach Jharkhand on Saturday to take up his new responsibility.

The five-phase elections in Jharkhand begin on November 30, with subsequent phases on December 7, December 12, December 16 and December 20. The Jharkhand Assembly Election results 2019 will be announced on December 23.

The state has 81 constituencies - 13 of these go to polls in the first phase, 20 in the second phase, 17 in the third, 15 in the fourth phase and 16 constituencies will vote in the fifth phase.