Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the funeral of the jail guard killed by eight members of the banned SIMI
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today attended the funeral of Head Constable Ramashankar Yadav, the jail guard killed by eight members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India or SIMI, as they escaped from a Bhopal prison on Monday.
"Wish the opposition had said a few words on the guard. They have nothing to say for martyrs..." the Chief Minister said, condemning what he called "dirty politics" by rival political parties who have raised questions about the killing of the eight SIMI terror suspects hours after they escaped.
Ramashankar Yadav worked the night shift as the head warder of the terrorist cell in an isolated part of the Bhopal prison. Deep on Sunday night, the eight men slit Mr Yadav's throat with a sharp weapon made from a steel plate and used bedsheets to climb a 25-foot wall and escape.
The head constable has been described as a doting father who was excited about the wedding of his daughter Sonia, 24, fixed for December 9. Despite suffering a heart attack recently, the 58-year-old was at the forefront of preparations, said his nephew Vijay Shankar Yadav.
"My uncle was busy making arrangements for his daughter's marriage. But as fate had it, we got the news of his killing by SIMI men this morning," Vijay said, adding, "We will sit and talk whether to go ahead with the wedding or postpone it."
Ramashankar Yadav two sons, Shambhunath, 36 and Prabhunath, 32, are both in the Army and are posted in Guwahati in Assam and Hisar in Haryana. They arrived home on Monday afternoon for their father's last rites.
The Chief Minister had visited the family late on Monday night. Madhya Pradesh Jail minister Kusum Yadav has offered a government job for a member of the family and 50,000 rupees.