The family members of slain Central Reserve Police Force jawan Mujahid Khan, who died fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, today refused a cheque of Rs 5 lakh from the Bihar government, saying it was 'demeaning' as Army personnel killed in such incidents get Rs 11 lakh.

The cheque was given to Khan's family in Bhojpur district's Piro tehsil where the slain CRPF constable's body was brought this morning and the funeral held with full police honours.

Khan was killed in a gunbattle with terrorists who had attacked the camp of the CRPF's 23rd Battalion at Karan Nagar in Srinagar.

"Khan's family has refused to accept the cheque. They are of the view that when Army personnel killed in such incidents were given Rs 11 lakh ex gratia, the substantially lower amount of ex gratia for paramilitary force jawans was demeaning," Bhojpur District Magistrate Sanjiv Kumar said.

"We have written to the state home department about the grievance expressed by the members of the deceased jawan. The amount of ex gratia is decided by the department and only upon its approval can any change be effected," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary issued a statement in Patna demanding an apology from the Nitish Kumar government for the 'insensitivity shown towards the sacrifice of the CRPF jawan, at whose funeral no minister or senior official was present'. -- PTI

IMAGE: A family member of Constable Mujahid Khan mourns during his funeral at Piro in Bhojpur district on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo