'I carried Khadse 3 kms on my back'

Constable Karan Shah countered the Naxals, firing from behind the bushes, until the rebels retreated. He then picked up his injured colleague on his back and walked back to police station which was around three kilometres away.

Constable Manikrao Khadse had received a bullet injury on his right upper arm after Naxals fired upon a combined security force from Kasansur police station near Punnoor village in Etapalli tehsil. "My clothes were drenched in his blood," said Shah. Not only to the police station, Shah also accompanied Khadse when he was flown to Nagpur for better medical treatment.

Nagpur rural police too extended their solidarity towards Gadchiroli colleagues. On being informed by the officials from State Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO) cell, four constables from Rural police headquarters reached Kunal Hospital to donate blood required for Khadse.

Joint commissioner of police D Kanakaratnam, Nagpur city, ensured that Gadchiroli cops accompanying Khadse were given due hospitality here.