Jawan injured in gun-battle with naxals, dies; cremated

A Special Task Force (STF) jawan, who was criticallyinjuredlate last evening in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, died today.
The jawan was cremeted with full state honours on the banks of the Ganges at his native place in Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh.
"Constable Salabh Upadhyay diedin the wee hours while he was being air-lifted from Basaguda for treatment," Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada region) Sundarraj P told PTI in Raipur.
22-year-old Upadhyay had sustained bulletinjurieson his head in the gun-battle between a joint team of security forces and ultras which took place in a restive forest pocket of Bijapur's Basaguda police station area late last evening, he said.

The chopper was sent in the wee hours and while the jawan was being retrieved, he succumbed to his injuries, he added.
The deceased was a native of Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh, where his mortal remains were consigned to the flames in the evening with full state honours at Rampurghat on the banks of the Ganges.

Bhadohi District Magistrate Vishakh G said the district administration has recommended an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh to his family.
Son of farmer Ashok Upadhaya of Bairakhas village, he was the youngest of four siblings. He had joined Chhattisgarh Armed Force in 2013 and later became part of the STF team.

He had come home on leave earlier this month and his marriage had been finalised.
Salabh was part of the joint team of Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and district police that was out on counter-insurgency operations based on inputs about the location of Maoist hideouts in Basaguda and Awapalli police area of Bijapur since May 13.