Rajnath Singh turns pallbearer for CRPF personnel killed in Pulwama attack

Home Minister Rajnath singh  arrived Srinagar on Friday to attend the wreath laying ceremony of  40 CRPF personnel killed on Thursday afternoon in the Valley, when a suicide bomber rammed his Scorpio SUV laden with explosives into a CRPF bus in south Kashmir .Home minister Rajnath Singh served as a pallbearer to the coffin of a slain CRPF cop after laying a wreath on the mortal remains of the troops who were killed in a Fidayeen attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. Along with other pallbearers, Singh and J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh escorted the coffin before it was flown out of the valley in a special aircraft, according to reports. Singh was attending the wreath-laying ceremony in Humhama, Budgam where the remains of 40 CRPF personnel were kept in coffins, draped in the tri colour flag.

“The nation will not forget the supreme sacrifice of our brave CRPF jawans. I have paid my last respects to the martyrs of Pulwama. The sacrifice will not go in vain,” Singh said.

Besides the home minister, Governor Satya Pal Singh, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, CRPF Director General R R Bhatnagar, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh also attended the wreath-laying ceremony.

A silence was observed when the coffins were loaded in a truck which was set on its way to the Srinagar airport..

At least,Forty CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday in one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district.However, Four more seriously wounded paramilitary men succumbed to their injuries at army’s 92 base hospital Badamibagh Srinagar Friday, taking the death toll of paramilitary troopers to 49 so far in the car-bomb attack at Lethpora area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district along Srinagar-Jammu on Thursday.

The bus, carrying 40 soldiers, was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles with 2,547 CRPF personnel, moving from Jammu to Srinagar. Sources said that preliminary inspection of the attack spot revealed that the SUV had more than 50-60 kg of high-grade explosives.

.The govt. along with the opposition condemned the explosion describing it a cowardly act. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those who committed the heinous act will pay “a heavy price”. “To all my colleagues, in ruling and Opposition, it’s a sensitive time. We need to speak in one voice because this battle is for us to win,” said Modi.

Following the blast, the traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway remained suspended A police official also confirmed the closure of road. He, however, said that the traffic was diverted through Galander. According to sources , the forces along with the additional reinforcements are still conducting searches around the attack site to find the bodies of three paramilitary men which are yet to be recovered.

A police officer had said forensic experts  have taken samples even as investigations have been set into motion. The officer also confirmed that yesterday’s attack was the deadliest in the 30 years of insurgency. “Even though there were major attacks in the past also like Badamibagh and assembly but this is the first attack in which there have been such a number of causalities,” the officer had said.

Regarding the vehicle, the officer said that it seems to be a Scorpio or jeep. “Investigations are underway in this regard,” the officer had said.