Hawk force inspector killed during Naxal encounter in Balaghat:Officer led joint teams of MP, Chhattisgarh Maharashtra; had been awarded 2 gallantry medals

Hawk Force Inspector Ashish Sharma was martyred during an encounter with Naxalites in Balaghat on Wednesday. He sustained gunshot injuries while leading a joint team of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh police. Anti-Naxal Operations DGP Pankaj Srivastava confirmed the incident and said the teams had launched a coordinated operation after receiving information about Naxalites hiding near Bor Pond, located in the border region of the three states. During the search, an encounter broke out, and Inspector Sharma was hit by Naxal fire. He was taken to the hospital in injured condition, where doctors declared him dead. Led operations across 3 states Inspector Sharma, originally from Gadarwara in Narsinghpur district, had been serving in the police force for several years. He was selected for the post of Sub Inspector in 2016, after earlier serving as a constable in the Intelligence department. Owing to his role in previous anti-Naxal operations, the Madhya Pradesh government had granted him out-of-turn promotion. In the past two years, he was also awarded two gallantry medals by the Government of India for his courage and service in challenging operations. Wedding was scheduled for January Family friends said Sharma’s marriage had been fixed and the wedding was scheduled for January, two months from now. CM Mohan Yadav pays tribute Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav expressed condolences on X, stating that Inspector Sharma displayed remarkable bravery during the joint operation in the forests of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. He said Sharma’s sacrifice in the national campaign against Naxalism would always be remembered. The CM also highlighted Sharma’s earlier gallantry awards and described his service as an example of unwavering commitment to duty.