RANCHI: Amid the intensive anti-Maoist operation being conducted in the Saranda jungles of West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, a CoBRA jawan, Rakesh Kumar, was killed after a tree fell directly on him during a storm late on Tuesday night.
Notably, extreme weather continues to pose a major obstacle to the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Saranda.
According to police, a large tree was suddenly uprooted and collapsed onto the camp, striking Rakesh Kumar on the head and leaving him critically injured. He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Ranchi for treatment. However, the jawan succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
“In the early hours of Wednesday morning, he was airlifted to Ranchi for advanced medical treatment; however, Rakesh Kumar succumbed to his injuries during treatment,” said a police official requesting anonymity.
IG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police spokesperson, Dr Michael Raj, confirmed that a tree fell near the Babu Dera camp in Saranda during a violent storm. CoBRA jawan Rakesh Kumar was martyred in this unfortunate incident, he said.
The martyred jawan, hailing from Dhamni village in Daudnagar, located in the Aurangabad district of Bihar, served as a constable in the CRPF’s CoBRA Battalion. His family members have been informed of the incident.
A tribute ceremony for his mortal remains will be held at the CRPF camp in Ranchi, following which his body will be transported to Aurangabad for the final rites.
Following the mishap, an investigation has been launched by the local administration and the authorities concerned to ascertain the circumstances that led to the tragedy.