INAM VEERAPUR (DHARWAD DISTRICT): Manjappa Hanumantappa Olekar, 29, a soldier from the district, who was martyred in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday, will be cremated at his native village on Thursday morning. Hundreds turned up at the residence of the deceased soldier at Inam Veerapur village, located 15 km from Hubballi, and consoled the family.
Manjappa, who got married six months ago, was serving in the army for the past nine years and was posted in J&K this year.
Unable to bear the news of her husband’s demise, Nikita, who is pregnant, went into a state of shock and had to be admitted to a local hospital.
Manjappa’s body was brought to New Delhi on Wednesday evening. The district administration has promised all help to the family and also sent the area tahsildar to meet the family.
On Wednesday, the gloomy atmosphere at Manjappa’s residence turned tense after most of the politicians from Hubballi failed to call upon the family. The villagers expressed their displeasure over Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and state minister Jagadish Shettar’s failure to visit the family. “Our son has died on duty. He deserves better treatment. The same politicians had come to our village early morning to seek votes. But today nobody came to see us,” rued a relative.