C’garh: Martyred cop’s wife gives Rs 10,000 for COVID-19 fight

Raipur: In a heartwarming gesture, the wife of a martyred policeman in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district donated Rs 10,000 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to fight coronavirus.

Recognising her contribution, the Bastar district administration made a short video clip on her.

“My husband would often tell me that we must do whatever we can to help the needy. In the present scenario, I decided to follow my husband’s appeal to help others,” Radhika Sahu (32) told PTI over the phone.

Upendra Sahu, a head constable with the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), was one of the two policemen killed in a naxal attack at Bastar on March 14.

Sahu lives with her two sons, aged 10 and six, in a rented house in Jagdalpur town and is surviving on the initial compensation given to the kin of martyrs.

So far, the state government had given her a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh, Sahu said, adding that she donated Rs 10,000 from it to the CMRF on Tuesday to fund the battle against coronavirus.

Hailing her contribution, Bastar superintendent of police Deepak Jha said, “We were overwhelmed by her noble gesture. However, initially, we discouraged her as she has to take care of her two sons, but she insisted and the district administration had to accept the donation.”

The process was underway to provide her a job in the department on compassionate grounds, he said, adding the remaining ex-gratia amount will be transferred to her at the earliest.