GOKAK: A jawan of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) hailing from Gokak of Belagavi was killed on the spot in a grenade explosion in Imphal on Saturday evening. Another jawan was critically injured in the incident. The deceased soldier has been identified as constable Umesh M Helavar (26) from Gokak, while the injured constable, N Ramarajan, is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
According to sources, Helavar was travelling in a CRPF vehicle when suspected militants dropped a grenade on it. City police rushed to the spot and recovered the lever and safety pin of the grenade from the vehicle.
Helavar was with the CRPF for six years. He completed his training from Bengaluru and Kerala. He then worked as CRPF jawan at Assam and Manipur. Speaking to TNIE, Ramesh, brother of the deceased, said he received a call from his friend, who informed him that some tragic news was going viral on social media, which carried the name of one Umesh. “When I started to check the news on social media, we received a call from the CRPF camp,” he said.
After the news reached Gokak tahsildar G S Malagi, he contacted the CRPF camp for confirmation. Malagi informed that the mortal remains of Helavar were expected to arrive on October 22.