MUMBAI: A tearful adieu was given to Major Kaustubh Prakash Rane by thousands of people on Thursday as the last rights with full military honors were performed on the mortal remains of the officer who was martyred in Kashmir at the LOC on Tuesday.
The military band played the last post even as Prakash Rane, father of the martyred soldier, lit the funeral pyre. Major Kaustubh (29) who stayed at Sheetal Nagar in Mira Road of Thane district is serviced by two-year-old son Agastya, wife Kanika, sister Kashyapi and mother Jyoti. Military officers, soldiers, police officials and elected representatives offered their last respects to the Major before the funeral pyre was lit amidst cries of cries of "Major Kaustubh Rane Amar Rahe," "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".
Major Rane's mortal remains were flown into Mumbai from Srinagar on Wednesday night and the coffin draped in national tricolour was brought to his home in an army truck at around 9 am today.
Funeral procession started at around 12 noon wherein thousands of people participated who had lined the roads on both sides or waited on buildings and terraces, showering flowers and waving the Indian flag.
The Mira town was in mourning ever since the news regarding death of the Major who lived here for over 25 years, came in on Tuesday. Large parts of the town observed a spontaneous shutdown as a mark of respect as the funeral procession.
The only son of his parents, Kaustubh fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune and was commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2011. He was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.