Imphal, May 17: The mortal remains of CRPF Second-in-Command Maharabam Prabo Singh were brought home on Saturday morning, as a tearful tribute was paid at the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal. Top officials, including Kuldiep Singh, Security Advisor to the Manipur Government, led the homage to the officer who lost his life during an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand on May 15.
Prabo Singh, 46, hailed from Sekmai Mayai Leikai in Imphal West. He was leading a joint operation with Jharkhand Police in the Baliba forest of West Singhbhum District — a Maoist-affected region — when a sudden lightning strike fatally injured him. He succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to a hospital.
Three others were injured in the same incident: CRPF Assistant Commandant Subir Kumar Mandal and Jharkhand Police ASIs Chandlal Hansda and Suresh Bhagat.
A solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at the airport, followed by a gun salute from CRPF personnel. Singh’s body was then taken to his native village for the final rites. Earlier, tributes were also paid at the CRPF 157 Battalion HQ in Adityapur by senior officers and family members, including his wife and son.
CRPF, in an official statement, mourned the loss of a “brave officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” and extended condolences to the bereaved family. The incident marks a rare and tragic loss of a commandant-rank officer due to a lightning strike in the region.
Known for his academic excellence, Prabo Singh previously taught at a higher secondary school before joining the force. He was the fourth of seven siblings — and heartbreakingly, the fourth to pass away prematurely, after the loss of their parents.
