Major J Suresh Suri, who died fighting militants in north Kashmir, was given a tearful farewell on Friday.
He was cremated with full military honours at the Bansilalpet crematorium in Secunderabad amid the presence of the family members, relatives, friends and army officials.
Slogans like Bharat mata ki jai, Suri saheb ki jai and Suri saheb amar rahe filled the air, when the coffin draped in the tricolour was brought to the crematorium in a flower-decked gun carriage in a procession from his residence at Vani Nagar of Malkajgiri in Secunderabad.
Major Suri’s wife Pallavi, mother Girija and other family members filed past the body to pay their last respects.
Soldiers ceremoniously undraped the tricolour and placed the body on the pyre for the Hindu cremation rituals to begin. The neatly folded tricolour was seen in the hands of Pallavi after the rituals were over.
Major Suri’s brother Suneel Kumar lit the funeral pyre, while soldiers from EME Corps gave a gun salute and reversed their arms as a mark of respect for the national hero.
Major Suri, commissioned in the Kumaon Regiment eight years ago, died in a gunfight with militants at Bandipora in north Kashmir on Wednesday. He celebrated his wedding anniversary on August 28.
{{/usCountry}}Major Suri, commissioned in the Kumaon Regiment eight years ago, died in a gunfight with militants at Bandipora in north Kashmir on Wednesday. He celebrated his wedding anniversary on August 28.
{{/usCountry}}Pallavi, who is expecting a baby, had joined him in Kashmir to celebrate his 30th birthday on October 5. Suri’s friend Nageshwar Rao said, “He was fearless and full of life. I can’t believe this has happened.”
State home minister Sabita Indra Reddy said, “Major Suri sacrificed his life fighting terrorism that is threatening the world. The government will always be a source of support to the martyr’s family.”