SALEM: Funeral of a 40-year-old Havildar with the Indian Army, who died in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, was held with military honours in Edappadi on Saturday evening.
The deceased soldier -- Havaldar Mathiazhagan (40) -- was a resident of Seerangaikadu near Sithoor at Edappadi in Salem district. He had served along the LoC in the Sunderbans sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Thursday night, Mathiazhagan was injured grievously in the ceasefire violation and later succumbed at an Army Hospital. His body was taken by road from Akhnoor to Jammu and then airlifted to New Delhi on Friday. It was brought to Coimbatore on Saturday evening in another flight.
At Salem, Collector S A Raman, police officials, the soldier's family members, and villagers paid their last respects. The collector handed over a cheque worth Rs 20 lakh as solatium to the soldier's family members. The solatium was announced by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The soldier is survived by his wife Tamilarasi (33) and two children -- Rohit (12) and Subha Sree (8).