Mortal remains of Captain Thapa killed in Doda encounter reach home in Darjeeling, cremation on July 19

Kolkata: The mortal remains of Captain Brijesh Thapa, who was killed while combating heavily armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda, were brought to his hometown in Darjeeling district's Lebong on Thursday.

Residents gathered on both sides of the winding roads from Siliguri to Lebong to bid a tearful farewell to the young Gorkha hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

Accompanied by Army personnel, state government officials, and many others, a flower-bedecked hearse van carried Captain Thapa's mortal remains to his ancestral home at Jing Tea Estate in Lebong.

Darjeeling district magistrate Preeti Goyal confirmed that the cremation will take place on Friday morning.

Slogans of "Brijesh Thapa Amar Rahe" reverberated in the air as large crowds gathered in towns like Kurseong, Sonada, Ghoom and Darjeeling on the way to Lebong to pay their respects to the martyred soldier.

The mortal remains reached Thapa's home at Lebong on Thursday evening as neighbours and people from nearby areas thronged their home.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, former Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla and others paid their respects to the martyred officer at Bengdubi Military Station near Siliguri on Wednesday after having been brought to Bagdogra by air.

Four army personnel, including the captain, died after being injured in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The third generation Army officer in his family, Captain Thapa was 27 years old and had joined the Indian Army five years back.

The martyred officer's mother Nilima said that he was from 145 Air Defence Regiment of the Army and was on deputation to 10 Rashtriya Rifles.He had come home on leave in March, she said. PTI AMR SBN SBN