The Hindu : Front Page : Thousands bid adieu to brave hearts

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Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
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Thousands bid adieu to brave hearts

Grief-stricken family members, friends break down while paying their last respects

Mumbai/Bangalore: Thousands of people poured into the streets on Saturday to bid a tearful adieu to brave hearts ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who died while taking on the terrorists in Mumbai.

Slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rent the air as the last journey of Karkare, who was among the 15 Mumbai police personnel killed in the 60-hour siege that began Wednesday night, started from his house in Shivaji Park, central Mumbai on Saturday morning.

Police personnel slow-marched leading a huge procession with Mr. Karkare’s picture on a flower-decked vehicle carrying his body.

The procession crawled through the Mumbai streets to reach Dadar crematorium where the last rites were performed with State honours. His only son accompanied the body.

Watch from tree-tops

People crowded the pavements and roofs and perched on trees to watch the last journey of the valiant officer.

When bullet-spraying terrorists attacked 10 locations in Mumbai on November 26 night, Mr. Karkare donned his helmet and bullet-proof jacket to take them on, but fell to close-range firing from the ultras.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, his Cabinet colleagues, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, BJP’s Nitin Gadkari, other leaders and top officials also paid their last respects.

In Bangalore, the scenes were no different during the funeral of Major Unnikrishnan.

The body of the 31-year-old, wrapped in the tricolour were laid before a framed photograph of the hero and people — friends, leaders, colleagues, family and strangers, filed past with bent heads and folded hands.

Mother inconsolable

Grief-stricken family members, friends and strangers broke down as Unnikrishnan’s inconsolable mother sat close to his body caressing her son, repeatedly touching his forehead.

Ordinary people lined up the street, crowded on roofs and balconies and at some places threw flowers at the vehicle carrying Unnikrishnan’s body.

People were seen stopping their cars and standing out to pay their respects.

Born on March 15, 1977 and the only son of retired ISRO officer K. Unnikrishnan, he had joined the National Defence Academy and then the Army in 1999.

He joined the NSG on deputation in January 2007 after having served two tenures with his battalion in counter insurgency and counter terrorism roles.

Brought to NSG hq.

The body of another NSG commando, havildar Gajendra Singh who was killed during the operations at Nariman House was brought to NSG headquarters in Delhi on the way to Dehra Dun where the last rites will be performed.

In the absence of the NSG chief, still in Mumbai overseeing the operations, floral wreaths were placed on his behalf.

Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev and M.S. Bitta also came to pay their last respects.

The body was later flown to his native village Ganeshpur in Dehra Dun. — PTI

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