Gloom descends on villages of martyr soldiers killed by Pakistan

PATNA/CHHAPRA/ARA: A pall of gloom descended on the native villages of four Bihar soldiers, who were killed in an ambush by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, with their irate kin demanding strict action against that country.

The bodies of the four jawans belonging to 21 Bihar Regiment will arrive here late evening with senior army personnel of the Danapur based regiment, besides top officials will receive them at Jai Prakash Narayan airport.

District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of respective districts would attend their funeral which would be carried out with full state honour, Mehrotra told PTI.

Of the four, Vijay Kumar Rai belongs to Bihta in rural Patna, Shambhu Sharan Singh hails from Bhojpur district and Premnath Singh and Raghunandan Prasad are natives of Saran district of the state.

The locals are seething with anger and want retaliatory action against Pakistan for the audacious attack and as the news of Vijay Kumar Rai's death came to Danapur, 10 km from Patna town, his mother, wife and neighbours were inconsolable.

Amid sounds of loud cry, the minor children of the jawan Vivek (6) and Neha (4), unable to understand the situation maintained a stony silence in contrast.

Rai's wife Pushpa, who was living with the children in a rented house in Danapur left for native village Anandpur Tehkaha in Bihta block of rural Patna last night itself with the soldier's elder brother and other relatives.

The soldier's mother Adhlagi Devi kept crying the whole night and fainted many times.

Devi lamented that her son had got her eyes treated on July 25 last when he had visited his native place, but now ironically she will not be able to see him this time around.

Vijay Kumar Rai was recruited in Bihar Regiment in 2002. His Late father Netlal Yadav also served in army just as his younger brother Ajay Rai.

The soldier's elder brother Rajkishore Rai was furious and voiced strong military action against Pakistan for the incident.