Soldier killed in Sikkim landslide cremated with full military honours in Sirmour

Nahan (HP), Jun 4 (PTI) Lance Naik Manish Thakur of the third Dogra regiment was cremated with full military honours near Badaban, his native village, about 17 km from Nahan in Sirmaur district, Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The 27-year-old was killed in a landslide in Sikkim Sunday evening.

Sirmaur Additional District Magistrate L R Verma and Superintendent of Police Nishchint Singh Negi laid a wreath on behalf of the state government in the cremation ground.

Thakur, who had got married just three months ago, is survived by his parents, brother and his wife. The pyre was lit by his younger brother.

A large number of military officers and politicians attended his funeral.

Among them were Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap, Paonta MLA Sukhram Chaudhary, state BJP President Rajiv Bindal, former BJP MLA Baldev Tomar, social worker Nathuram Chauhan, Congress block president Gyan Chaudhary, and Sirmaur Deputy Director Sainik Welfare Board Major Deepak Dhawa.

The soldier's body was brought to his village wrapped in a tricolour from Chandigarh in an army vehicle earlier in the day.

The arrival of his mortal remains was hailed with chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Amar Shahid Manish Thakur Amar rahe" by the villagers.

According to the army, the soldier died when a major landslide hit an army camp in Chhaten, located near Lachen town in Mangan district of Sikkim. PTI COR BPL VN VN