A CRPF jawan, who was critically injured in an IED explosion during an anti-Maoist operation in Odisha’s Banko Reserve Forest, has died while undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Rourkela. His body was airlifted from Rourkela Airport to the CRPF camp in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The jawan, identified as Satyawan Singh, aged 34 and a native of Uttar Pradesh, was part of the 134th Battalion of CRPF. He was critically injured during a combing operation in K. Balang police limits, under Bonai Sub-division, when an IED planted by Maoists exploded near the Ghancha jungle in the Sundargarh district this morning.
Singh had arrived from the Jharkhand border three days ago and was part of a team conducting an extensive anti-Maoist operation in the Odisha side of the border. The team was set to conclude the operation today and return to Jharkhand. However, while approaching their vehicle in the forest, the IED went off, causing severe injuries to Singh.
He was immediately rushed to Apollo Hospital in Rourkela by ambulance, but despite all medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries. His mortal remains have now been moved to Ranchi’s central CRPF camp, from where arrangements are being made to send the body to his home state, Uttar Pradesh.
Senior officers including the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rourkela and the Western Range DIG visited the hospital to monitor the jawan’s condition and supervise the investigation.
It is noteworthy that just a few weeks ago, on May 27, a large quantity of explosives was looted by Maoists from the same forest region, pointing to heightened militant activity in the area.
