The mortal remains of Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi, an army man who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir, were consigned to flames in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh on Thursday.
The 27-year-old army man who belonged to Punjab Regimental Centre was among two defence personnel killed after suspected terrorists set off an improvised explosive device (IED) near the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector on Tuesday.
The air was thick with grief as the body of the man was cremated at the burning ghat in Khirgaon here in the presence of his teary-eyed parents and other people. Bakshi's fiancee, an Army doctor stationed in Jammu, whom he was supposed to marry in April, also stood silently among the crowd.
Earlier, Captain Bakshi's body was received by his family.
His parents, Sardar Ajinder Singh Bakshi and Neelu Bakshi stood still as they watched their only son embark on his final journey wrapped in a tricolour.
The streets were lined with mourners, many of whom knew Captain Bakshi since his childhood.
The town that had celebrated Karamjit's engagement a few days ago. His uncle Sardar Amarjit Singh Bakshi told PTI, "Karamjit was like Kohinoor for family and friends. A very charming youth who was always there for people. He had come to Hazaribag for a week and left on January 24 for Akhnoor where he was posted."
The uncle said the deceased was due to be married in Jammu on April 5. "When we were expecting a celebration, we received such a setback," his other uncle Sardar Devinder Singh said.
The Army Captain is survived by his mother, father and sister. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore and a large number of Army and Civil officials paid tributes to the fallen soldier at the Birsa Munda Airport on Wednesday. Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of Bakshi and an army jawan in the IED blast.
