![Jawans of Railway Protection Force presenting Guard of Honour to martyr Dev Raj before consigning to flames at Jagatpur Cremation Ground in Lakhanpur on Saturday. -Excelsior/Pardeep Sharma Jawans of Railway Protection Force presenting Guard of Honour to martyr Dev Raj before consigning to flames at Jagatpur Cremation Ground in Lakhanpur on Saturday. -Excelsior/Pardeep Sharma](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/page13-2.jpg)
Pall of gloom descends on Jagatpur
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Apr 23: The mortal remains of martyr Dev Raj Sub Inspector Railway Protection Force (RPF) were consigned to flames in his native village Jagatpur in Lakhanpur area of Kathua district this evening with full state honours.
A sea of humanity including people from all walks of life and jawans of IRP and J&K Police bid tearful adieu to martyr. As the pyre was lit to flames, the slogans “Bahrat Mata Ki Jai”, “Shaheed Dev Raj Amar Rahey” and “Jabtak Suraj Chand Rahey Ga Devraj Tera Naam Rahey Ga” rent the air.
Wreaths were placed on the body of the martyr by DIG Railway Protection Force (RPF), Vivek Sagar, SSP Shiv Kumar and other local police officers.
The family members, relatives and villagers were seen wailing and sobbing as body was taken for the performance of last rites.
As the body of martyr reached the Jagatpur earlier a Pal of gloom descended on village and all the residents rushed to the house of the martyr to console the shell shocked family. However the words even fell short to console the parents, wife of and other relatives of the martyr.
The wife of the martyr, Poli Devi, his father Sant Ram and his mother Krishna Devi were totally in shock as they did not know what has happened to Dev Raj with whom they have attached all hopes. The funeral procession started from Dev Raj’s house to cremation ground in the village in which people from surrounding villages also participated to pay their respects to the martyr.
It may be recalled that Dev Raj and constable Surinder Singh of Railway Protection Force were attacked by terrorists near Kakpora Railway Station in Pulwama district of Kashmir Valley on April 18 when they were on a tea stall. While Surinder Singh breathed his last before reaching to Hospital, Dev Raj was shifted to Territorial Hospital, Srinagar where he succumbed his injuries last night.
His body was brought to his native village Jagatpur in Kathua district of Jammu region today where his last rites were performed by full state honour.