Nation pays tearful adieu to bravehearts

Karkare, who is being given a state funeral, was shot dead by terrorists along with encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte near Cama Hospital.

Karkare, a 1982 batch IPS officer, became the head of ATS in January this year following his return to the state cadre after serving seven years in Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Austria. He is survived by his wife Amruta, two daughters Jui and Sayali and son Akash.

Tearful adieu to Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Bangalore on Friday bid a tearful farewell to Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the NSG Commando officer who was killed in the bloodiest counter-offensive at the Taj hotel in Mumbai.

Family members, friends and army personnel besides thousands of ordinary people came out in the streets to pay homage to the martyr who laid down his life during the unprecedented anti-terror operation.

Unnikrishnan was killed while trying to pursue a fleeing terrorist at Taj.

The body of the slain hero was draped with the tricolour. Tears streamed down the cheeks of many as emotional family members and friends broke down while bidding adieu to the braveheart. The funeral was held with full military honours.

As emotions ran high, the crowd raised slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ while paying their last respects to the martyr.

Major Unnikrishnan, 31, was killed while engaging terrorists on Friday morning at the Taj hotel. He was with the 51 Special Action Group of the force and was with the NSG on deputation. He has been with the Black Cat commando force for the last two years. An officer of the Bihar Regiment, he was commissioned in the Indian Army in June 1999.

The officer had joined the NSG on deputation in January 2007 after having served two tenures with his battalion in counter insurgency and counter terrorism roles. He hails from Bangalore where his father works for the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Meanwhile, the body of NSG hawaldar Gajendra Singh, who died fighting terrorists in Mumbai’s Nariman House, was brought to Delhi before being taken to his native place Dehradun for the last rites on Saturday.

All ranks and file of the elite force gathered at NSG headquarters in Palam to pay their tributes to the slain hawaldar.

The body of Singh, who was a member of NSG’s 51 Special Action Group, will be later taken to Dehradun, an NSG spokesperson said.

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