Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Sept 14: Amidst anti-Pakistan slogans and lauding the supreme sacrifice of martyr Ravi Kumar Rana for his motherland, the mortal remains of the braveheart were today consigned to flames at the banks of mighty Chenab river with full military honours.
Rifleman Ravi Kumar Rana of 63 Rashtriya Rifles, son of Subash Chander was a resident of Vasnoti Trigam in mountainous Kishtwar and he made the supreme sacrifice while taking on dreaded Pakistani terrorists during an encounter in remote Narla village of Rajouri district on Tuesday.
Two Pakistani terrorists were also killed in the gun-battle which continued till Wednesday and also claimed the life of Kent, a six-year-old female Labrador of Army’s dog unit.
Mortal remains of Ravi Kumar were brought to his home last night in a decorated Army vehicle.
A large crowd emerged to pay last respects to the fallen hero at the place of his cremation with senior Army officers of the region, DC Kishtwar, Devansh Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police, Khalil Ahmed Poswal and several politicians also joined up to pay their respects to the martyr soldier.
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Sources informed that the family of young soldier was preparing for his marriage this December as he turned 26 this year.
Relatives informed that Ravi Kumar’s father Subash Chander Rana is a farmer, having four sons.
Ravi’s elder brother is also in Army presently posted in Punjab and Ravi had joined Army about eight years ago and was a brave man.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at the house of Rana at hilly hamlet Wasnoti-Galigarh, 15 km from Kishtwar, where his fiancée also joined the mourners and burst into tears.
The body of Rana was supposed to reach his home town after a wreath laying ceremony at military garrison in Rajouri on Wednesday but bad weather did not allow helicopter operation and later his tricolour wrapped coffin was dispatched by road.
The body of the fallen hero reached his house by midnight and later on it was taken in a procession to a nearby cremation ground this morning amid high pitch sloganeering in praise of his sacrifice, nation and the Army.