Body of slain jawan arrives in Jharkhand; Guv, CM pay tributes

Deoghar (Jharkhand), Sep 10 (PTI) The mortal remains of Army jawan Niraj Choudhary, who lost his life in an avalanche in Ladakh's Siachen, arrived in his home state, Jharkhand, on Wednesday, an official said.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Chief Minister Hemant Soren paid tributes to the mortal remains of the Agniveer at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport.

The bodies of Choudhary and two other soldiers, who were trapped after an avalanche hit the 12,000-feet-high Siachen base camp in Ladakh, were retrieved on Tuesday.

"We lost a jawan hailing from Jharkhand in Siachen. I express my deepest condolences," Gangwar told reporters.

Soren said, "Agniveer Neeraj Choudhary sacrificed his life for the country's security. We pay tributes to him. I pray to the Almighty to give his family strength to bear with this loss." The chief minister said that his government had decided about a year ago that jobs would be provided to the next of kin of slain Agniveers.

Niraj's uncle Santosh Choudhary said the jawan's last rites would be performed at his native village, Kajra, in Deoghar on Thursday.

"Niraj was deployed in Siachen in 2022. Since childhood, he had wanted to serve the country," Santosh Choudhary added. PTI SAN SAN ACD