In Bihar, slain CRPF jawan's family turn down cheque of Rs 500,000

The family members of slain CRPF jawan Mujahid Khan, who died fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, on Wednesday turned down a cheque of Rs 500,000 from the Bihar government, saying it was "demeaning" as Army personnel killed in such incidents get Rs 11 lakh.

The cheque was given to Khan's family in Bhojpur district's Piro Tehsil where the slain CRPF constable's body was brought this morning and the funeral held with full police honours.

Khan was killed in a gunbattle with militants who had attacked the camp of the CRPF's 23rd Battalion at Karan Nagar in Srinagar.

"Khan's family has refused to accept the cheque. They are of the view that when Army personnel killed in such incidents were given Rs 1.1 million ex gratia, the substantially lower amount of ex gratia for paramilitary force jawans was demeaning", Bhojpur District Magistrate Sanjiv Kumar said.

"We have written to the state home department about the grievance expressed by the members of the deceased jawan. The amount of ex gratia is decided by the department and only upon its approval can any change be effected", Kumar said.

Meanwhile, RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary issued a statement in Patna demanding an apology from the Nitish Kumar government for the "insensitivity shown towards the sacrifice of the CRPF jawan, at whose funeral no minister or senior official was present".