The mortal remains of Naik Jeet Bahadur Thapa was consigned to flames at Kharkhari cremation ground on Tuesday after the martyr for the cause of the nation’s unity and integrity was provided with the ceremonial honour by the Indian Army regiment. Army personnel from Dehradun and Raiwala gathered to pay homage to the jawan who had died at the Army Hospital in Delhi on June 7 after he had sustained serious injuries while fighting the terrorists at Naugaon in Jammu and Kashmir. He was from Banjarawala in Dehradun.
Earlier, the mortal remains of Thapa were brought to Haridwar at around 11 am on Tuesday, wrapped in the tri- colour, from Dehradun. Floral wreaths were laid on behalf of the senior Army officials and the commanding officer of the GR regiment. The last rites were performed by his elder brother Mann Bahadur Thapa as per the Vedic rituals. He was given 21- gun salute by the Indian Army personnel as a mark of respect to the jawan who had embraced martyrdom while fighting the terrorists.
Notably, the 37 -year -old jawan, having taken retirement from the Indian Army, had been left with just three months to serve. He has been survived by a five- year- old daughter and a four- year- old son.
Born to a family known for begetting Army personnel, Thapa had been recruited in Gorkha Rifles regiment in 2000 and had over the past 17 years served at several places, including those in Jammu and Kashmir. For the past two years, he had been posted in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to The Pioneer, district Sainik welfare officer C P Negi said, “Uttarakhand has lost another courageous son who laid down his life while fighting the militants at lOC in northern part of Kashmir valley. Such deaths would not go in vain.”
Earlier in Dehradun, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, various public representatives and locals also paid tributes to the martyr at his residence in Banjarawala area.