Chhattisgarh: Maoists release apology letter after death of DD cameraman; say media not our target

Naxals involved in the killing of late Doordarshan cameraman Achyutananda Sahu have now released a statement saying that media was not their target.

In the statement released by Sainath, secretary of Darbha divisional committee, Communist Party of India-Maoist, he mentions the cameraman Achyutananda Sahu of DD was not their target, nor were any media personnel.

The Maoist leader also expressed his grief over the death of the DD cameraman who was killed along with the two police officials near Nilwaya village at Dantewada district of Chattisgarh.

The letter further said that they consider media as their friends not enemies and asked the media and other election duty officers entering Bastar not to accompany police or other security forces under any conditions.

In a response to the statement issued, Dantewada SP said the apology is part of an expected strategy and questioned the purpose of looting the camera which had the recorded footage.

"Because it (camera) had recorded evidence of what happened in the first few minutes of targeted media ambush. Multiple bullet wounds and skull fractures on the martyred cameraman in no ways indicated it was by mistake," he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.