A special Indian Air Force aircraft carrying the mortal remains of Odia jawan Rana Pratap Das arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik paid tribute to Das following a Guard of Honour. Members of State cabinet, police DG Abhay, noted dignitaries along with armed forces personnel also paid their homage to the departed soul.
Das’ mortal remains will be taken to his ancestral village Krushnachandrapur in Talcher where his last rites will be performed with full military honours.
Rana, deployed as a junior warrant officer in the IAF, is survived by his wife, a one-year-old son apart from his elderly parents.
Earlier on Friday, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and his wife, Madulika Rawat and Brigadier Lidder, were given an emotional farewell as PM Modi led the country in paying tributes to the souls. All three of them were cremated with full military honours at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment.
Notably, General Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 other armed forces personnel including Rana lost their lives after a Mi-17VH choppper they were on-board crashed near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)