Army jawan cremated with state honours

Earlier, scores of people paid tributes to the 28-year-old jawan, who dedicated his life for the nation since 2012. He was deployed on duty along the Arunachal Pradesh border. He was killed in an accident on December 5, after a truck in which Balamurugan and his fellow jawans were traveling, accidentally fell into a valley.

The body was flown from New Delhi to Bengaluru, from where it was taken to his native village by road. After his mortal remains were laid to rest in his house at the village, TG. Vinay, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Madurai Range; Annie Vijaya, Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan; Additional Superintendent of Police Vanitha and officials from the Departments of Revenue and Ex-servicemen Welfare placed wreaths and paid homage.

Many of the jawan’s relatives and local people consoled the bereaved family. Scores of grief-stricken people of the village bade tearful farewell when the body was taken to the crematorium. The Army personnel gave a gun salute and fired 21 bullets in three rounds into the air in a gesture of respect, sources said.