UDUPI: Salmara village of Karkala taluk in Udupi is mourning the demise of Lt Col Harjinder Singh of the 11 Gorkha Rifles, who was among the 13 killed in the chopper crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Singh wife Prafulla Menezes, who works as a lecturer in the Military School, New Delhi, is from Salmara.
Lt Col Singh married Prafulla around 15 years back after falling in love. After his marriage, Singh had visited Karkala a few times. Prafulla’s father late Philip Menezes had served as the vice-president of Karkala town municipal council and was a councilor of Karkala TMC for about 20 years.
George Castelino, a family friend of the Menezes and a retired teacher, told TNIE that the Menezes family was an illustrious one. Philip’s first daughter Pushpa had settled abroad, but came back to Salmara to take care of the house and her father’s stationary shop.
A member of Prafulla’s family recalled Lt Col Singh visiting Karkala four years ago. Prafulla also had come to Karkala a few weeks back. He recalled Singh as a humble and good person.
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