Martyred BSF jawan was to come home after Diwali

PUNE: Nitin Subhash Koli, the BSF jawan who was killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in the Macchil sector along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, was planning to visit his family in his native village in Maharashtra after Diwali.

28-year-old constable Koli, hailing from Dudhgaon village in Sangli, was martyred this morning in firing by Pakistani security forces.

He was supposed to come home after Diwali and even wished his family 'Happy Diwali' over phone yesterday, a close relative of the jawan, said.

"On Saturday morning, the news came in about his martyrdom and the entire family as well as the village received a rude shock," he said.

After the news broke out, the villagers decided not to celebrate Diwali, even as a pall of gloom descended on the village.

The villagers decided to not burst fire crackers during the festival and also brought down the lanterns, hung atop their homes.

Koli had joined BSF in 2008 and is survived by his wife and two sons aged four years and two years.

His mortal remains are likely to reach the village tomorrow.