The body of Sreejith Maloor, the Indian Air Force flight lieutenant, who died after mid-air collision of two IAF MI-17 helicopters in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region on Thursday, was cremated with full honours, in the compound of his ancestral home at Annakara near here on Saturday. The mortal remains were flown to Kochi Naval Base from Gujarat.
From there, around 50 Air Force personnel brought the body to Annakara village in the morning, where it was handed over to Sreejith’s brother-in-law. A large number of people had assembled at his house from Friday night. The body was kept in his house, where local people, relatives and friends paid their last respects. The coffin, covered with the national flag, was then taken to the pyre, around 11 am.