Jharkhand Guv, Union min condole death of CRPF jawan in IED blasts

Chaibasa/Ranchi, Oct 11 (PTI) Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, on Saturday paid floral tributes to the mortal remains of CRPF head constable Mahendra Laskar, who was killed in IED blasts.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in honour of the slain jawan at the headquarters of the 133 battalion of CRPF in Ranchi.

Laskar, a resident of Assam, along with two others, were injured in two IED explosions in Saranda forest in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district on Friday during an anti-Naxal operation.

Laskar died in the course of treatment in a hospital in Odisha's Rourkela on Saturday, police said.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also expressed grief over the death of head constable of the 60th battalion of the CRPF.

"Received the heartbreaking news of the martyrdom of head constable Mahendra Lashkar Ji of CRPF-60 Battalion, who was injured in an IED blast during an operation in the Jarikaela police station area of Chaibasa. May Marang Buru grant peace to the soul of the brave martyr and provide strength to the grieving family members to endure this hour of sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of the other soldiers injured in the operation," Soren posted on X.

An inspector and an assistant sub-inspector, who sustained injuries, in the IED blasts, were undergoing treatment, a police statement said.

The improvised explosive devices were suspected to have been planted by the proscribed CPI (Maoist), which is observing a 'resistance week' in Jharkhand, to target security forces, he said.

"Head constable Mahendra Laskar, a resident of Assam, died in the course of treatment in a hospital in Rourkela, Odisha," said a statement issued by the Jharkhand Police Headquarters on Saturday.

The inspector and the ASI are under treatment in the hospital, it said.

On Friday evening, the three CRPF personnel sustained injuries in the explosions in Babudih area of Saranda forest under the jurisdiction of Jaraikela police station.

The Jharkhand Police strengthened security across the state in the wake of the 'resistance week' of the banned CPI(Maoist), which began on October 8. The outfit also called for a bandh on October 15.

Inspector General (Operations) Michael Raj had on Thursday told PTI that 12 battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 20 groups of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) and India Reserve Battalion (IRB) have been deployed to boost security across Jharkhand. PTI BS SAN BDC SAN ACD