Thiruvananthapuram | Hundreds of people on Tuesday thronged a tiny hamlet near the Kerala capital to pay their last respects to a brave soldier who was killed after Naxalites blew up a truck in which he was travelling, in Chhattisgarh two days ago.
The mortal remains of R Vishnu, attached to the Central Reserve Police Force's jungle warfare unit, CoBRA, were brought to his native village near Palode here in the early hours of on Tuesday.
Mayor Arya Rajendran and other government officials received the body at the airport in the early hours and CRPF personnel paid their respects.
As Vishnu's mortal remains were brought to the village in a mourning procession, people, including the elderly, women and children, apart from his relatives and friends, waited with heavy hearts to pay their last respects to him.
The soldier's newly-constructed house witnessed heartbreaking scenes as his little children, wife and parents were inconsolable seeing his lifeless body.
Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil visited his home and paid his respects to the deceased soldier.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan placed a floral wreath on the mortal remains when it was kept for public homage at the school where he had studied, and consoled Vishnu's relatives there.
Before the cremation, CRPF personnel accorded him full ceremonial honours.
According to the Chhattisgarh police, the blast of an improvised explosive device took place around 3 pm on Saturday near Timmapuram village between Silger and Tekalgudem camps of the security forces, over 400 km from the state capital Raipur.
