The body of H. Vaisakh, a jawan who was killed in an encounter with a group of militants at the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir, was laid to rest with full military honours at his native village at Kudavattur here on Thursday.
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The 24-year-old was attached to the 16th Rashtriya Rifles Battalion. A resident of Odanatavttom in Kollam, he had joined army at the age of 19. His mortal remains were brought to Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday and kept at the mortuary of military hospital in Pangode.
His body, accompanied by army personnel, was brought to Kudavattur in a funeral procession and a large number of people, including officials, army personnel, politicians and the public, gathered to pay their last respects to the soldier.
His body was kept at the Government L.P. School, Kudavattur, for the public to pay homage. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal paid tributes on behalf of State Government while District Collector Afsana Praveen represented the district administration.
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Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchu Rani; Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar; Kodikunnil Suresh and Suresh Gopi, MPs; P.S. Supal, MLA; former minister J. Mercykutty Amma; former MLA P. Aisha Potty; Kottarakkara municipal chairman A. Shaju; district panchayat president Sam K. Daniel; and Kottarakkara block panchayat president M. Sivaprasad; were present.
The body was cremated at his residence at Kudavattur.