Dantewada: An assistant constable who suffered bullet injuries in yesterday’s naxal ambush in Dantewada — and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Raipur — breathed his last on Wednesday, police said.

Assistant constable Rakesh Kaushal (35), who was posted at the Aranpur police station and hailing from Village Barsoor in Dantewada, died Wednesday morning at the Ramkrishna Care Hospital in Raipur, additional superintendent of police (city) Praful Kumar Thakur said.

It may be recalled that two police personnel — sub-inspector Rudra Pratap Singh and assistant constable Manglu — and a cameraperson of DD News Achyuta Nand Sahu were killed in a naxal ambush that took place in insurgency-hit Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

Two others, identified as constable Vishnu Netam and assistant constable Rakesh Kaushal, suffered bullet injuries in the naxal attack. They were airlifted to Raipur for better medical assistance. 

Assistant constable Kaushal succumbed to bullet injuries while undergoing treatment, said the ASP (City), elaborating that constable Vishnu Netam is currently under constant medical observation.

Kaushal’s body will be sent to his native place after autopsy, said ASP Thakur. In the wake of the incident, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Wednesday chaired an emergency meeting of officers, where he directed them to intensify the operations against the leftist terrorists.

The chief minister reviewed the security and law and order situation of the insurgency-hit Bastar region during another meeting, which was held at his official residence.
Chief secretary Ajay Singh, principal secretary (home) Amitabh Jain, principal secretary to the CM Aman Singh, director general of police AN Upadhyay, special DG (anti-naxal operations) DM Awasthi and the state’s additional director general (intelligence) Ashok Juneja were present at the meeting.