Sukma attack: Trooper who criticised Rajnath Singh wants to surrender

Pankaj Kumar Mishra posted video on Facebook after relative Abhay Kumar was killed in Chhattisgarh

Pankaj Kumar Mishra, a CRPF paratrooper who posted a video on social media ranting against Home Minister Rajnath Singh after a relative died in the Sukma Maoist attack, on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court saying he wanted to surrender and sought protection to his life.

Kumar, who claimed to have been detained by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), said he ran away from the battalion after fearing threat to his life.

Kumar approached the court saying he wanted to surrender and his life be protected after his surrender.

Justice Ashutosh Kumar asked the Director General CRPF to accept Kumar's surrender and deal with the case as per law.

The court asked Kumar to report to DG CRPF on Saturday and also directed the department not to assault him.

Mishra, of the CRPF 221 battalion stationed at Durgapur in West Bengal, had posted a video on Facebook after his relative Abhay Kumar was killed in the Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, in which 25 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

In his video, Kumar had said: "They should not forget that these CRPF jawans provide security to leaders like Amit Shah. We voted for Modiji and not BJP, and leaders like Rajnath Singh are misleading the Prime Minister." He requested Singh to meet the family members of slain CRPF personnel.