Raipur Mourns as Hundreds Gather to Honor Martyred STF Constable Bharat Lal Sahu

Raipur
Impassioned scenes of grief marked the streets of Raipur as scores of people followed the funeral cortege of martyred STF constable Bharat Lal Sahu from his home to the crematorium on Friday, chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai.” Sahu (38) was one of the two Special Task Force jawans killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated by Naxalites on Wednesday night in the Tarrem area of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. Four other personnel were injured in the attack.
The final rites for Sahu were conducted at Rajiv Nagar Muktidham, where Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, senior police officials, and people from various walks of life gathered to bid an emotional farewell to the martyr. Police personnel provided a guard of honor at the crematorium. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Sharma also carried Sahu’s coffin on their shoulders before placing it in a police truck earlier in the day.
Sahu’s brother’s words on Thursday, “Martyrs never die, they live in people’s hearts,” resonated deeply amid the emotional atmosphere. His grieving father, Rama Sahu (75), along with Sahu’s three children—two daughters aged 11 and 8, and a 2-year-old son—stood by as Sahu’s body, draped in the tricolor, brought many to tears.
Sahu’s children, accompanied by their uncle, lit the funeral pyre. Earlier in the morning, CM Sai, Deputy CM Sharma, other cabinet members, Director General of Police Ashok Juneja, and other officials laid floral wreaths at Sahu’s coffin at the 4th battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force at Mana camp, where Sahu’s family members were also present. Sahu’s younger daughter laid flowers at his coffin, bowing with folded hands, making for a poignant moment.
Speaking to reporters, CM Sai condemned the Naxalites’ cowardly act, attributing it to their frustration as the government has been intensifying its fight against them since coming to power after last year’s assembly polls. He asserted that Naxalites have been pushed back to a few pockets and that the double-engine government would soon eliminate Naxalism. “I offer my salute to the martyrdom of jawans and pay tribute to them,” Sai said, adding that their sacrifice would not be in vain.
From

Mana Camp, the coffin was transported in a flower-decked police mini-truck to Sahu’s home in Adarsh Nagar, Mova, with a large crowd chanting patriotic slogans. Scores of people joined the funeral procession from his house to the Rajiv Nagar crematorium, chanting “Bharat Lal Sahu amar rahe,” “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” and “Naxalwad Murdabad.”

Deputy CM Sharma remarked to reporters that the slogans against Naxalites indicated society’s growing intolerance of the menace. He warned those supporting Naxalites, whether in remote or urban areas, that there is significant societal resentment against them. Even the people of Bastar, one of the most affected regions, seek to rid themselves of Naxalism and welcome development.

Sahu, the sole member of his family in the force, is survived by his parents, wife, two daughters, a toddler son, five brothers, and two sisters. His father is a retired railway employee. Sahu attended government school in Mova, completed ITI and BA, joined the Chhattisgarh Armed Force in 2007, and transferred to the STF in 2009. He had been actively involved in operations against Naxalites in Bastar over the past 15 years, his family shared on Thursday.