We Would Have Got Killed Had We Raised Our Body: DD Cameraman Who Survived Maoist Ambush

A video shot by assistant cameraman of national broadcaster Doordarshan during Tuesday바카라�s Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh바카라�s Dantewada district, went viral on social media, revealing the dreadful moments that he and two other journalists had to go through in their line of duty.

In the video, Mormukut Sharma, 35, lying on the ground, sends a message to his mother, which he thought would be his last. 바카라�Mummy, I love you so much. I don바카라�t know why바카라� I am not feeling scared seeing death before my eyes,바카라� he said, amidst the sound of gunfight and grenades that were breaking his voice.

Sharma and DD reporter Dhiraj Kumar miraculously survived the attack, but their cameraperson Achyutanand Sahu was killed.

By luck, or by the exemplary courage shown by the security personnel who came to rescue them, Sharma, along with Kumar, lived to tell their harrowing experience.

Recounting his ordeal to Outlook, Sharma said he had even thought of drinking his urine as he felt dehydrated while hiding in a ditch during the ambush. 바카라�I had seen it in National Geographic or somewhere and I had thought of it as a last resort,바카라� he said.

Asked if his mother has seen the video shot by him, Sharma, who hails from Mathura, said he has asked his brothers not to show it to her. 바카라�My mother hasn바카라�t come to know about the attack. I don바카라�t want her to know about it,바카라� he said.

바카라�I saw our cameraman getting killed. A bullet pierced through his head. He died on the spot. Another bullet hit the jawan who was accompanying the cameraman on a bike. But he was not killed. Then they came and cut his face.바카라�

바카라�I thought I would be killed soon. I remembered my mother. I wanted to leave a message for her. I took out my phone and shot a video,바카라� he said.

There were around 300 Maoists. Both Sharma and Kumar had managed to hide in a ditch. 바카라�They would have found us had we raised our body by an inch. And we were fighting the ants on the ground,바카라� Sharma recalled.

Sharma has been working as a camera assistant with Doordarshan in Delhi for the last 14 years.

Sharma, Kumar and Sahu were sent to Chhattisgarh for coverage of the upcoming Assembly elections.

바카라�I came to know that this village is going to vote after 20 years. I felt it바카라�s a good story. So, we decided to go there, which was 50 km away from Dantewada,바카라� Kumar told Outlook. 바카라�I thought I will cover the story and I will come back.바카라�

The trio had informed the Superintend of Police and the district collector of Dantewada about their plan to visit the village. They travelled with a team of security personnel. The village was 2 km away from the highway and there was an unpaved road ahead.

바카라�We stopped our vehicle at the highway and then we got on to the two-wheelers of the jawans,바카라� said Kumar. 바카라�There were five motorcycles and eight jawans. The three of us got on to three different bikes. We were riding at 20 feet from each other,바카라� added Sharma.

On their way, Sahu stopped to take visuals of some Maoist posters hanging from a tree. 바카라�We thought no one will attack us seeing his camera in the front. But, the Maoists first opened fire at him.바카라� said Kumar.

There was intense firing and grenade attack.

바카라�Don바카라�t spare anyone. Finish them,바카라� the Maoists shouted.

Both Kumar and Sharma managed to cross the road and they lay in a ditch. Around 70 rounds of bullets flew over their heads. One bullet nearly missed Kumar바카라�s leg. Smoke from grenades engulfed the area.

Kumar recalled that he had tried to stop Sharma from shooting the video that has now gone viral. 바카라�I was scared that any movement by us will help the Maoists to find us,바카라� he said.