CRPF jawan killed in Jammu and Kashmir encounter cremated in Maharashtra village

The mortal remains of CRPF jawan Sunil Kale, who was killed in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, were consigned to flames at his native place in Maharashtra's Solapur district on Wednesday.

Kale, 41, who joined the service in 2000, was killed in the encounter in Pulwama on Tuesday, a police official said.

The body was brought to his native Pangaon village in Barshi tehsil of Solapur late Tuesday night, he said.

His last rites were performed at the village on Wednesday morning at the village, the official said.

Kale, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir some months back, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday paid tributes to Kale.

Pangaons good son CRPF jawan Sunil Kale was martyred while fighting militants in Jammu-Kashmir. The people of Barshi bid farewell to the braveheart in military honours. Tributes to brave martyr jawan Sunil Kale, the former defence minister tweeted.

Besides the CRPF jawan, two unidentified militants were also killed in the encounter, police earlier said.

On Tuesday morning, security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Bundzoo in Pulwama district of South Kashmir after receiving specific information about the presence of militants in the area, they said.

The search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon a search party of the forces, who retaliated, the police said.