Sukma attack: Bodies of five CRPF men from Bihar reach Patna

Bodies of five of the six CRPF jawans from Bihar who were killed in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh on Monday arrived here on Tuesday evening, police said.

A large number of people, including CRPF personnel and hundreds of others, gathered at the Patna airport and paid their respects to the slain troopers.

Their funeral will take place in their respective villages on Wednesday, police said.

The 25 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers killed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma included Naresh Yadav from Darbhanga district, Saurabh Kumar from Danapur in Patna, Abhay Kumar from Vaishali, Ranjit Kumar from Sheikhpura and Abhay Mishra from Bhojpur district.

The body of sixth CRPF trooper Krishna Kumar Pandey, was flown to Varanasi, as his native place in Rohtas district is closer from there.

According to officials, Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav, BJP legislator Sanjiv Chourasia, JD-U legislator Shayam Razak, Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agrawal and Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj were present when the bodies arrived at the airport.

In the deadliest Maoist attack since 2010, the 25 CRPF men were killed when nearly 300 heavily armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF contingent in a forested patch in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh and escaped with their AK-47 assault rifles.

Six CRPF men were also received severe injuries in the attack.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of deceased CRPF troopers.

--IANS

ik/nir/vd