People of four villages in Maharashtra turned up in large number to share the grief of the families of four bravehearts from the state, who were among the 18 jawans martyred in the Uri terror attack.
Sandip Somnath Thok (24) from Nashik district, Chandrakant Shankar Galande from Satara, Vikas Janardhan Kulmethe (27) from Yavatmal district and Panjab alias Vikas Janrao Uike (26) from Amravati, lost their lives in yesterday's attack.
Villagers of Jashi in Mann tehsil of Satara district made a beeline to the house of Galande ever since the news of his killing reached the village. Galande's brothers Manjya Bapu and Keshav are also in the armed forces.
The family has a home on the outskirts of the village, where the slain soldier's wife and two children live.
Now, villagers are waiting for the mortal remains to reach Jashi by road, after being flown to Pune.
At Khandagali village in Nashik district, the family of armyman Sandip Somnath Thok, killed in the Uri attack, is mourning for the soldier, who was a bachelor.
Sandip is survived by parents, elder brother Yogesh and two married sisters. Somnath, father of the 25-year old, is an onion farmer.
Sandip had joined the Army in 2014, after repeated attempts to join the armed forces. Ten youths from the village are serving in the armed forces.
Villagers are awaiting the arrival of the martyr's mortal remains for the last rites.
Purad Nerad in Wani tehsil of Yavatmal district is
mourning the death of Vikas Janardhan Kulmethe.
Vikas, who joined the Army in 2008 and was transferred to the camp at Uri six months ago, had got married two years back. He is survived by his wife Sneha (23), his four-month old daughter, younger brother and parents.
His body would be flown from Delhi to Nagpur tonight and would be taken to his native village by road.
Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Vikas Janrao Uike is being brought to his native Nandgaon Khandeshwar town in Amravati district for funeral.
Uike, who joined Bihar Battalion at Chandrapur in 2009, had served in Assam and Bengal, before being posted in Jammu-Kashmir three months ago. He leaves behind his parents, a brother and a married sister.
His father Janrao said, they were planning to marry him off soon. "We had planned to solemnise the engagement in Diwali, but all our plans have been shattered," he told
(REOPENS BOM 17)
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has announced financial assistance of Rs 15 lakh each to the families of the martyred jawans from the state.
