Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 14
The search and rescue operation for tracing soldiers trapped in an avalanche in the Namgya area of Kinnaur district was called off after the bodies of the last two missing soldiers were recovered on Thursday.
The remaining two bodies that have been traced are those of jawans from Himachal and Jammu. The body of NK Videsh Chand of Thrauna village, Nirmand, Kullu district, was shifted to Jhakri today and the last rites will be performed tomorrow morning at his native place.
The body of Rifleman Arjun Kumar of Kattal Brahamana village, Hira Nagar, District Kathua (Jammu) will be airlifted to Janglot tomorrow and will be sent by road from there to his native village.
It was on February 20 that six Army personnel were hit by an avalanche in the Namgya area of Kinnaur, close to the border with China, while they were patrolling along the border. The body of one jawan was found the same day.
Drunk jawan misbehaves, cops let him flee
Una, March 15
A Home Guard jawan, attached with the Transport Department and posted at the RTO barrier in Mehatpur, allegedly misbehaved with the Director of the department last evening.
The incident took place during a surprise visit by the official. The jawan was reportedly in an inebriated state.Director, Transport, Capt JM Pathania, said Home Guard jawans had been deployed by the department at RTO barriers for a period of one month, after which their duties were extended. He said the jawan at Mehatpur, identified as Jasbir Singh, was drunk and allegedly began misbehaving when he was inspecting the barrier.
Pathania said he contacted the Superintendent of Police, who sent two constables from the Mehatpur police station. However, instead of conducting a medical examination of the jawan, they allegedly let him flee from the scene.SP Devakar Sharma said on the second complaint of the Director, Transport, he himself visited Mehatpur. He said two police personnel, Head Constable Inder Kumar and Constable Sandeep, who were accused of allowing the inebriated jawan escape, had been called to the Police Lines for departmental action.
He said such dereliction of duty would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the Director, Transport, said a disciplinary action would be initiated against the Home Guard jawan. He said the department would also consider making amendments to the service period of the Home Guard personnel attached with the department so that they were more answerable to the system.