Head constable Narender Kumar was fired at and his throat slit by Pakistani troops Tuesday.
New Delhi: A day after Border Security Force (BSF) head constable Narender Kumar was killed and his body mutilated by Pakistani troops along the International Border near Jammu, BSF director general K.K. Sharma was busy launching a book called ‘Breathe Right: Our Wo/Men in Uniform’ in the capital.
The book, authored by Australia-based life coach Prem Peyara, is “intended to further soldiers’ well-being”, and was released at the BSF headquarters in New Delhi. Sharma was chief guest at the function.
A source who was present at the book launch told ThePrint that the DG refused to speak to the media on the jawan’s killing. “He came and spoke about the book for about 10 minutes, and then left,” the source said.
Also read: High alert on border after BSF jawan brutally killed by Pakistani troops
It raised a few eyebrows that Sharma didn’t offer a comment on such a brutal killing, but then again, the DG is known to be inaccessible. However, he has made a number of controversial statements in the past, such as “we have noticed marked increased in the number of madrassas and mosques in the last 10 years” in Rajasthan, and that the message coming out of those places is “not that of peace”.
Sharma, who was appointed DG in 2016, is set to retire at the end of this month. The government is on the lookout for a replacement.
The BSF had condoled Kumar’s death through a tweet Tuesday.
DG #BSF and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of Head Constable Narender Kumar & offer condolence to the family of the braveheart.
HC Narender attained martyrdom on 18 Sep,2018 in an unprovoked Pak firing across #Jammu #IB#अमरप्रहरी#BharatKeVeer pic.twitter.com/zQx7N3f4HU
— BSF (@BSF_India) September 19, 2018
Details of the brutal incident
In its official statement, the BSF said the area between the fence and the International Border is “undulating, marshy and has thick sarkanda (elephant grass) growth, which made the search difficult”. Kumar was reportedly part of a six-member team clearing
sarkanda along the barbed-wire fence.
The soldier had “crossed over inadvertently”, the BSF said.
The team was suddenly fired upon by the Pakistan Rangers, and while others managed to return to safety, Kumar was injured and got left behind.
Also read:BSF officers raise funds for the family of colleague killed in Pakistan firing
The body, bearing bullet wounds and gashes that indicated his throat was slit and there had been an attempt to gouge his eyes, was found near the border fence after over six hours.
BSF has retaliated … but BSF Dgs comments of madrassas n the message coming out of it not being peaceful is indeed a serious concern and the ever increasing muslim populationon border areas is matter of grave convern…n needs to be investigated
Most tragic and unfortunate. One can only pray that our forces will not retaliate in kind as far as the mutilation of a fallen brave’s body is concerned.