Body of Joseph Laguri, the third jawan from Jharkhand killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in the last one week, will be brought to his native Tepasai village in West Singhbhum’s Sonuwa block on Monday.
Laguri, who was injured countering terrorists in Kupwara on August 3, died at a Chandigarh hospital on August 19.
CRPF commandant from Jamtara, Pramod Kumar, died fighting terrorists in Srinagar on Independence Day while army jawan from Chatra, Shakti Singh, was killed at Baramula on August 16.
Third among eight siblings, Laguri had joined the army in 2011 after graduating from JLN College Chakradharpur at the age of 18.
His elder brother Vikram, posted with the 94th Border Security Force battalion in Gujarat, had returned his village two days back.
“I am proud of my brother’s martyrdom,” Vikram said.
“Joseph had fuzzed his injuries fearing that parents and siblings might panic. He had told his colleagues not to inform his family members,” said Vikram.
The body was about to reach the village by Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}The body was about to reach the village by Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}“We are waiting in grief but there is no word from administration and officials as to when the body will reach us. Neither local MLA, MP nor local government official have visited us,” said Vikram over phone from Tepasai.
Army sources in Ranchi said, “The body of the slain soldier is being brought from Chandi Mandir (Chandigarh) to Jamshedpur by a helicopter. The body is likely to reach Jamshedpur around 12.30pm on Monday.”
Chief minister Raghubar Das mourned the jawan’s death at Gudari, an adjacent block to martyr’s Sonuwa block where he had been to attend a government programme.