A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan from Odisha was martyred on Tuesday in a landmine explosion triggered by Maoists in Rengabai forest bordering Malkangiri district.
The martyred jawan has been identified as Prakash Chandra Sial from Gopalpur village under Balasore’s Bahanaga block.
As per reports, Sial was among the troops assigned to provide security to the polling party at Kanker in Chhattisgarh. He unfortunately stepped on a landmine suspectedly planted by Maoists which exploded injuring him seriously.
Following the explosion, he was rushed to Raipur Hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries today.
Sial joined BSF in 2004 and is survived by his wife and two sons. He has two brothers and a widowed mother in his family too.
It is pertinent to mention here that Assembly polls have begun in Chhattisgarh on November 7 and will continue till November 17. The counting of votes will be held on December 3. Voters of 20 assembly constituencies will exercise their franchise on November 7 while the rest 70 seats will go to polls on November 17. The nomination process for the first phase of the Chhattisgarh polls will begin on October 13, while the last date for withdrawing from the contest is October 23.
As major parts of the State are infested with Maoists, the Assembly election in the State is going on with heavy security cover.
Meanwhile, a drone footage of hundreds of Maoists rejoicing after a gun battle with security forces at Gangalur in Chhattisgarh has surfaced. The footage shows a large group of Maoists moving in the jungle carrying two Maoists who were injured in the exchange of fire at Gangalur.