Bhubaneshwar: A tragic incident unfolded in Manipur as Neelachal Patel, a valiant Assam Rifles soldier hailing from Odisha, lost his life during a patrol on Saturday. Patel, a native of Baghapali village in Odisha’s Bargarh district, was on duty in the strife-torn region.
Reports indicate that the unfortunate incident occurred when an Assam Rifles vehicle met with an accident while on patrol in Manipur. Tragically, Patel sustained fatal injuries in the accident and despite efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on the same day.
Coincidentally, this sorrowful news follows the martyrdom of another brave soldier from Odisha, Sushant Kumar Khuntia, who was a CRPF jawan. Khuntia, residing in Ward no.4 of Anandapur municipality in Keonjhar district, lost his life in neighboring Jharkhand.
Khuntia and fellow jawan Munna Yadav were injured by gunfire during a Maoist attack on a CRPF team while conducting a search operation in Hatiburu forests of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Friday morning. Tragically, Khuntia couldn’t survive his injuries and passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ranchi.
According to sources, the Neelachal’s body is anticipated to be brought to his village on Monday for the final rituals. Meanwhile, the body of Sushant Khuntia, the CRPF jawan who lost his life, was cremated in his ancestral town of Anandapur in Keonjhar on Saturday.
In response to these heart-wrenching incidents, Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his condolences on Twitter, saying, “I am deeply saddened by the martyrdom of Nilachal Patel, a dedicated officer of the Assam Rifles in Manipur. His invaluable sacrifices in the service of our nation will forever be etched in our memory. May the brave soldier’s soul rest in peace, and my heartfelt condolences to his grieving family.”
These successive losses serve as poignant reminders of the unwavering commitment and sacrifice exhibited by our brave soldiers in the face of adversity.