JAGDALPUR: Praful Shukla, the personal security officer (PSO) of former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, was cremated in Raipur on Sunday.

The 40-year-old PSO had been with the veteran Congressman for eight years, before he was 'martyred' in the Maoist ambush of the Congress' Parivartan Yatra in Sukma district's Darbha Valley yesterday.

The martyr's brother Prakash and a Congress source close to VC shukla told TOI that, on being ambushed, Praful used his car door as a shield and shot back at the Maoists with his 9mm service pistol. When he was down to his last bullet, he told VC Shukla that he was sorry that he couldn't protect him any longer. He then shot himself in the temple and died.

The 83-year old Congress leader sustained four gunshot wounds and is currently being treated at Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon.

"My brother would often say that he would not allow anyone to kill him," said Prakash.

Shukla is survived by his wife and two sons in classes 4 and 8.

