CRPF officer cremated with state honours

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, April 25

A pall of gloom descended on Nagri village, 10 kilometres from here, when the mortal remains of 46-year-old CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kumar was brought to his native village this afternoon.

Sanjay was killed in a Maoist attack in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Monday. Earlier, his body was airlifted to Pathankot and later was brought by helicopter to the Gaggal airport.

Later, in the evening, the mortal remains of Sanjay were consigned to flames with full state honours at Nagri in the presence of a large number of people who had come to pay their tributes to the officer. His two daughters lit the pyre.

His body was received by local residents, family members, relatives and officials of the district and police administration and the CRPF at Nagri village. Sanjay has left behind his aged parents, two daughters Kasish and Amisha, studying in 8th and 12th standards.

Sanjay had joined the CRPF in 1990. He, along with a team of CRPF jawans, had gone to the Naxal-infested Kalapathar of the south Bastar region of Sukma district, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism. CRPF officials, accompanying the body, told mediapersons that the jawans had gone to the remote tribal village for the construction of a road when the rebels attacked the team from all sides.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Dr Richa Verma, SSP Sanjiv Gandhi, SDM, Palampur, Ajit Bhardwaj, DSP Vikas Dhiman placed wreaths on behalf of the state government. The guard of honour was given by a contingent of the state police and CRPF jawans, who fired bullets in the air. Senior CRPF officers accompanied the martyr’s body from Chhattisgarh.

Strong resentment was seen in the public as out of 15 MLAs including ministers, none was present in the cremation or visited the residence of the martyr.

However, BBL Butail, local MLA and Speaker of the state Assembly, expressed shock over the incident. He conveyed his sympathies to the family member of the martyr. He assured full support of the family members on behalf of state government. He said being out of Palampur, he was unable to attend the cremation. He would soon visit the family of the martyr.

Daughters lit pyre 

• Sanajy Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector, CRPF, was killed in a Maoist attack in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Monday.  Earlier, his body was airlifted to Pathankot and later was brought by a helicopter to the Gaggal airport. 
• In the evening, the mortal remains of Sanjay were consigned to flames with full state honours at Nagri in the presence of a large number of people who had come to pay their tributes to the officer. His two daughters lit the pyre.  

Had gone for road construction 

Sanjay along with a team of CRPF jawans, had gone to the Naxal-infested Kalapathar of the south Bastar region of Sukma district, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism. CRPF officials, accompanying the body, told mediapersons that the jawans had gone to the remote tribal village for the construction of a road when the rebels attacked the team from all sides.