Bhubaneswar: Neelachal Patel, an Assam Rifles jawan from Odisha deployed in strife-torn Manipur, was reportedly killed in Manipur while patrolling on Saturday.
Patel was an inhabitant of Baghapali village under the Bheden block of Odisha’s Bargarh district.
According to reports, an Assam Rifles vehicle met with an accident during patrolling in Manipur injuring Patel fatally. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.
Incidentally, the news of Patel’s death came a day after the martyrdom of another Odia CRPF jawan in neighbouring Jharkhand.
The deceased CRPF jawan was identified as Sushant Kumar Khuntia, a resident of Ward no.4 of Anandapur municipality in Keonjhar district.
Khuntia and another jawan Munna Yadav sustained bullet injuries when the Maoists attacked a CRPF team during a search operation in Hatiburu forests in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Friday morning. Khuntia succumbed to his injuries while being treated at a hospital in Ranchi.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote on his Twitter handle, “I am saddened to learn of the martyrdom of Nilachal Patel, a dedicated officer of the Assam Rifles in Manipur. His precious sacrifices in the service of the country will always be remembered. May the Veer Javan’s soul rest in peace and my condolences to the bereaved family members.”
