Brahmagiri (Puri): The mortal remains of Odia CRPF jawan Manoranjan Lenka, who died in a landmine blast in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, was consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village Rebana Nuagan under Brahmagiri Block in Odisha’s Puri district on Wednesday afternoon.
More than 10,000 people of Rebana Nuagan and its adjoining villages bade a tearful adieu to their brave martyr.
Family sources said Manoranjan had come to his village two weeks ago to perform the death anniversary ritual of his father.
The 26-year-old Odia jawan was among the nine jawans of the 212 Battalion of the CRPF who were killed when the anti-landmine vehicle, in which they were travelling, was blown up by a multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the Maoists on a forest road near Kishtaram.
The incident took place when the jawans were on the way from Kistaram to their base camp at Palodi after a routine search operation.
While eight of the 11 jawans died on the spot, one of the injured jawans died while being airlifted to Raipur for treatment, sources said.
After the death of the nine CRPF jawans, their bodies were taken to the CRPF camp at Mana in Raipur where they were given the Guard of Honour by the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir and senior officials of the CRPF and Chhattisgarh Police.
From Mana, the bodies were taken to their respective destinations.
The body of Manoranjan arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in a helicopter from Raipur.
Later, a Guard of Honour was given to the martyr in the presence of ministers Badri Narayan Patra, Bikram Keshari Arukh and Sashi Bhusan Behera, Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi and senior police officials.
