Amid vociferous chants of “Kaustubh Rane Amar Rahe” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai', the last rites of martyred Indian Army officer Major Kaustubh Rane were performed at his home town of Mira Road in Thane district under full military honours..
Thousands of people joined the last journey of Major Rane, who was among four Army personnel killed in a gun battle with terrorists near the line of Control at Bandipura in Jammu & Kashmir early on Tuesday,
There were huge crowds at his residence to have the last glimpse of Major Rane. Prominent among those who visited Major Rane’s residence to pay their last respects were Thane’s guardian minister Eknath Shinde, Sindhudurg’s guardian minister Deepak Kesarkarm and State Education Minister Vinod Tawde.
The mortal remains of Major Rane had arrived in Mumbai from the valley state late on Wednesday. The coffin, draped in the national tricolor was solemnly received by Rane’s grieving family members, army and civilian officials, at the city airport.
Major Rnae’s body was later taken to his home at Mira Road, where his last rites would be performed with full military honours on Thursday.
A pall gloom had descended on Mira Road, after the news of Major Rane’s reached his family members and people in the town.
Major Rane (29) is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.
After his initial education at the Holy Cross Convent High School at Mira Road, Rane studied in the Royal College also at Mira road, before graduating from Shailendra College at Dahisar, a suburb of Mumbai.
After completing his military training from Pune, Rane was commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Aademy, Chennai in 2011. Having joined the Indian Army as a lieutenant, Rane was later promoted as a captain and elevated as Major earlier this year, with the 36 Rashtriya Rifles.