Lt Colonel Niranjan laid to rest with full state honours

People bid an emotional farewell to Lieutenant Colonel E K Niranjan, who was killed while defusing a grenade during the terror attack at the Pathankot IAF base, as he was today laid to rest with full military honours at his ancestral home near here.

The body of the 32-year-old bomb expert with the National Security Guard was buried on the premises of his paternal home at Elambulassery here, amidst chanting of 'Hare Rama Hare krishna' mantras.

He was accorded full military honours, including gun salute as Army personnel sounded the bugle. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala represented the state government at the funeral ceremony.

Niranjan's father E K Sivarajan and his other relatives were among those present at the programme.

Earlier in the day, the body was kept at the KUP School where hundreds of people, including school children, lined up to pay their homage.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his cabinet colleagues K Babu and A P Anil Kumar visited the house and paid homage late last night.

Yesterday, after the mortal remains were brought here from Bengaluru in a helicopter, it was taken to the ancestral village in a flower-decked army truck.

People lined up in many places on both sides of the road to have a glimpse of the brave-heart and threw flowers as a mark of respect.

Emotional scenes were witnessed when the body reached Elambulassery with locals thronging the roads and throwing flowers on the cortege and raising patriotic slogans in many places.

Niranjan was commissioned in the Engineers Regiment of the Army in 2004. Niranjan, head of the elite bomb squad of the NSG, was killed while defusing an IED at Pathankot IAF base, yesterday. He was among seven security personnel killed in the terrorist attack there. He is survived by his wife and an 18-month-old daughter.