New Delhi, Friday 14 November 2008: In an audacious attack after the first phase of assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Naxalites on Friday fired at an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter ferrying sealed Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), killing a flight engineer.

“A Mi-8 helicopter on election duty was shot at in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Friday evening and flight engineer was killed,” IAF spokesperson said. The deceased engineer was identified as Mustafa Ali.

The incident took place near Pedia in Naxal-infested parts of the state after the voting process was over when the helicopter was bringing the EVMs to the strong rooms, Election Commission (EC) sources here said.

The chopper was carrying EC officials and a few injured BSF jawans from Pedia to Bijapur. Soon after the Mi-8 took off, it came under heavy, indiscriminate fire, an IAF official said.

“The helicopter’s rotor blade, engine and fuselage were hit by bullets but pilot Wg Cdr T K Chaudhary managed to fly it to safety in Jagdalpur, saving the lives of other passengers,” he added.

EC sources said, “A bullet shattered the helicopter’s windshield and hit a flight engineer, killing him. (Agency)