(MENAFN- IANS) Balaghat, Nov 20 (IANS) The final rites of Madhya Pradesh's Hawk Force Inspector Ashish Sharma, who was killed in an encounter with Maoists in Balaghat a day before, were conducted with full State honours in his native village in Narsinghpur district on Thursday.

A tribute march for martyr Sharma (31) was conducted in Balaghat where Hawk Force jawans, including senior officials, who were part of the anti-Maoist operation, gathered to give farewell when his mortal remains were taken to his native village.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Singh Patel and several other local leaders from across the party lines attended the last rites ceremony of Inspector Ashish Sharma.

Aggrieved family members received the mortal remains of the martyr wrapped in Tiranga with full State honours.

Hundreds of villagers gathered to give a tearful farewell to Sharma.

A joint team of the Madhya Pradesh Hawk Force and Chhattisgarh Police was conducting a search-and-destroy operation when Maoists suddenly ambushed the party around 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Maoists opened indiscriminate fire from elevated positions.

The security personnel immediately retaliated, triggering an intense gun battle that lasted several hours.

During the exchange, Inspector Ashish Sharma sustained multiple bullet injuries.

He was rushed to a hospital in nearby Dongargarh (Chhattisgarh), where doctors declared him brought dead.

The encounter broke out in the dense forests near Kauhapani under Bortalab police station limits in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district.

Sharma was a decorated officer who had earned two gallantry medals for extraordinary courage in anti-Maoist operations.

He played a pivotal role in the February 2025 encounter in the Raunda forests of Balaghat, where three dreaded female Maoists carrying rewards were eliminated.

His consecutive promotions reflected his outstanding field record.

Expressing grief over the martyred soldier's death, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Yadav said Hawk Force Inspector Sharma's sacrifice will not go in vain.

Inspector Sharma is survived by his wife and two minor children.

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