Bengaluru bade a tearful adieu to its hero Major Akshay Girish Kumar (31), who was martyred along with six other soldiers on November 29, after terrorists struck at the Nagrota army camp in Jammu.
Major Akshay was part of the 51 Engineers Regiment and a Bengal Sapper and was in the quick response team that swung into action after the terror attack on the camp.
The mortal remains of the martyr were flown to Bengaluru on Thursday around 11.30 am and taken to the Air Force station in Yelahanka for the military honours. Around 2 pm, the family, friends and relatives paid their last respect to the martyr at his parents' residence in Jade Garden, before his last rites were performed at the Hebbal crematorium with state honours.
The Bengaluru lad, who was focussed on a career in the army since his school days, perhaps drew inspiration from his father Wing Commander (retired) Girish Kumar, a pilot with Indian Air Force and his maternal grandfather Col A.K. Murthy who was with Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army. His mother Meghna, twin sister Neha, wife Sangeeta and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Naina stood in silence even as the father performed the last rites.
Law Minister T. B. Jayachandra, on behalf of the Karnataka government, announced a solatium of Rs 25 lakh to the martyr's family while Mayor G. Padmavati announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh.
