Jammu: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Army, who was killed in a firing incident in Samba district, was cremated with full military honours at his native village in Reasi district on Thursday, officials said.
JCO Subedar Surjeet Singh died in a firing incident inside a military camp in Samba late Tuesday night.
A pall of gloom descended on Sarla village as the mortal remains of the JCO were brought to his home, where senior Army, police and civil officers laid wreaths on his coffin, the officials said.
Thousands of people from various parts of the district thronged the village, joined the funeral procession and raised slogans in praise of the officer, the Army and the country.
Amid slogans of “shaheed amar rahe” (long live the martyr) renting the air, hundreds of people, including family members and relatives, paid their last respects to Singh with tearful eyes.
He was later cremated with full military honours after a gun salute and the sounding of the last bugle.
The Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army paid a solemn tribute to braveheart Subedar Surjeet Singh.
“The Indian Army stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and assures unwavering support,” it said in a post on X.
On Wednesday, a defence spokesperson said the incident is under investigation and further details will be shared as facts are established
“A JCO of an Army unit in Samba sustained a gunshot wound while on duty in Jammu and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries in the line of duty. At this stage, the terror angle has been ruled out”, the spokesperson had said.
