Grief, outrage at slain jawans' funerals in Bihar

There was a massive outpouring of grief and outrage at the funerals of CRPF personnel Sanjay Kumar Sinha and Ratan Kumar Thakur, who were killed in the Pulwama terrorist attack, in Bihar's Patna and Bhagalpur districts respectively on Saturday.

As smoke billowed and flames leapt from the funeral pyres of the martyrs in rural Patna's Fatuha Triveni Ghat and Bhagalpur's Kahalgaon Ganga Ghat, shouts of 'Sanjay Amar Rahein' and 'Ratan Amar Rahein' rent the air.

Massive crowds gathered for the cremation of the CRPF personnel, with many carrying the national flag. People also raised slogans of "Pakistan Murdabad" and "Finish off separatists once and for all".

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav were among those present at Sinha's funeral, while Union Minister Giriraj Singh and state minister Ram Narayan Mandal attended Thakur's last rites.

Earlier, the mortal remains of the slain jawans were brought to their respective villages in flower-bedecked vehicles.

Their bodies were flown in from the national capital to Patna, where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, among others, paid floral tributes to them.

Thakur's body was flown to NTPC helipad in Bhagalpur, about 250 kms from Patna, before being taken to his village.