Nitish condoles CRPF jawans' death, announces compensation

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today condoled the death of 10 CRPF commandos in an encounter with Naxals on the borders of Gaya and Aurangabad districts in the state and announced compensation to their families.

The commandos of CRPF's COBRA unit were ambushed in the IED blast triggered by Naxals near Chakarbanda-Dumarinala forests after which an encounter started yesterday in which three Naxals were also killed.

While eight CRPF personnel were killed on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries later.

Kumar instructed top officials of the state, including Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, state police chief P K Thakur and Principal Secretary Home Amir Subhani, to rush to Gaya to take stock of the situation and ensure that needful action is taken, an official statement said. He also had a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the incident.

The Chief Minister directed the Home department to immediately pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to the next of kin of each deceased as per provisions of the state government, the statement said.

Additionally, he ordered officials to make available to the kin of the jawans killed, insurance of Rs 20 lakh under the provisions of special scheme in the Naxal-hit districts, it said, adding Kumar also ordered to provide all medical assistance to the injured jawans. The Chief Secretary would lay wreath on bodies of deceased jawans on behalf of the Chief Minister.

Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Headquarters) Sunil Kumar said bodies of three Naxals have been recovered from the spot along with three automatic weapons and ammunition. Search operation is on to nab the other Naxals involved in the encounter.

To a question if there was lack of coordination between the paramilitary forces and state police during the operation, the ADG said its matter of probe, adding, "We generally review the lapses and shortcomings after every such incident to overcome them in future."

The five injured jawans of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) are under treatment in hospitals of Gaya and Patna and are out of danger, he added.