Senior CRPF official, driver killed in landslide in J&K's Banihal

A landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Banihal town has killed a senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer and his driver and critically injured the personal security officer. Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Shailendra Vikram Singh and the driver, Naveen, reportedly died on the spot when their car came under a flying boulder near Banihal. The CRPF team was on its way to Srinagar from Jammu. The injured officer is admitted to an Army hospital in Udhampur.

“Regret to inform that Sh. Shailendra Kumar, DIG North Srinagar, while going from Jammu to Srinagar by road, his official vehicle Scorpio was hit by a boulder @1945hrs. He and his driver expired, and PSO rescued with critical injuries, evacuated to Army Hospital, Udhampur,” the CRPF said in a statement. The incident happened near Khuni nallah in Ramban district.

It was reported that Singh was accompanied by two other DIG-rank officials, Ashok Samyal and Meena. Fortunately, the two officials had a narrow escape as they were travelling in separate vehicles. According to CRPF officers, the impact of the landslide was so severe that it took them a couple of hours to retrieve the body. DIG Singh’s mortal remains will be flown to his home town Lucknow on Monday, December 16.

(With agency inputs)