BSF jawan on poll duty killed in accidental grenade explosion in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

DANTEWADA: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan deployed on election duty was killed after a grenade in his possession accidentally exploded in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday, police said. The blast occurred when a team of the BSF's 70th battalion stationed at Katekalyan police station for poll duty was about to launch a search operation, an official here said.

The patrolling team was moving out of the police station premises when a hand grenade kept in a pouch worn by head constable Balbeer Chand exploded, he said.

Chand was seriously injured and immediately shifted to the Dantewada district hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the official said.

Chand was a resident of Himachal Pradesh, and his family members have been informed about the incident, he said.

An accidental death report has been registered, and further probe is underway, he added.

Dantewada is among 20 assembly constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase of the two-phased elections on November 7.

Additional paramilitary forces have been deployed in the Dantewada assembly segment, one of the 12 constituencies in the Naxalite-hit Bastar division.