CRPF officer died fighting Maoists

In an unusual twist to the earlier version, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said on Tuesday that an Assistant Commandant from Jammu and Kashmir died in Jharkhand during an anti-Maoist operation.

Earlier, the family of Gulam Jeelani Khan, who belonged to Manzgam village in Baramulla district, was told he had been electrocuted. It was not clear why the family had been given this version.

On Tuesday afternoon, the CRPF said on its official Twitter handle: "Assistant Commandant Gulam Jeelani Khan of 157 Battalion sacrificed his life in an anti-Maoist operation in Sinjani, Khunti, Jharkhand.

"The young officer saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and made ultimate sacrifice in the service of nation while leading his troops from the front," it said.

Official sources said the body was being sent to the officer's village in the Kashmir Valley for last rites.

--IANS

sq/mr