KENDRAPARA: The last rites of Odia BSF jawan Kishor Rout, who was killed in an aircraft crash in New Delhi on Tuesday, was performed with full State honours at Deulatara village in Kendrapara district on Thursday. He is survived by his parents, wife Pragati and two sons, Sriharsha (10) and Aditya (2).
Kishor’s body arrived in his village on Wednesday night.
Hundreds of people from Deulatara and neighbouring villages gathered at Kishor’s house to pay tributes to the departed soul. All shops were closed in the village as a mark of mourning. Among others, Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda and MLA Debendra Sharma were present during the last rites of Kishor.
Balakrushna (67), father of Kishor, blamed the Government for the death of his son. “My son and nine others were flying in a two-decade-old aircraft which was not airworthy. New and sophisticated aircraft are only meant for VIPs and politicians but not for soldiers. For our Government, life of a soldier is not important,” he said. Kishor was his only son and had joined the BSF in 2001. “He had done his BSc and MBA before joining the paramilitary force. Kishor worked in Kashmir for 10 years and since 2012, he was working in Palam airport,” said Balakrushna, who also worked in the BSF till he retired in the year 2000.
Bilasini, Kishor’s mother, has been in shock ever since she heard the news of her son’s death. Ten persons, including Kishor, were killed after a BSF aircraft flying to Ranchi crashed soon after its takeoff near Dwaraka in New Delhi on Tuesday.