MP village mourns death of its son martyred in Pulwama attack

The residents of Khudawal village in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh remember CRPF jawan Ashwini Kumar Kachhi as an ever-smiling man, who would often encourage the locals to join the armed forces.

The news of his death in the terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, sent the village, located around 40 km from the district headquarters, into mourning.

Kachhi, 30, was among the 40 CRPF personnel who lost their lives in when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district.

As the news of Kachhi's death reached his village, the locals started visiting his inconsolable parents to comfort them. The bachelor was the youngest son in the family.

"Martyr Ashwini Kumar always wore a smile on his face whenever he met me," recalled Vinay Asathi, a resident of Khudawal village. "He used to encourage the youth of our village to join the armed forces," he added.

Ashwini is the third martyr from the village, Asathi said. Rajendra Upadhyay and Rameshwar Patel who served in paramilitary forces were killed in the line of duty, he said.