Maha bids tearful adieu to bravehearts
Amidst slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', Maharashtra on Saturday bid a tearful adieu to the two CRPF troopers from the state who were among the 44 killed in the Pulwama suicide attack on Thursday.
The mortal remains of Nitin Rathod, 39, of Chorpangra village and Sanjay Rajput, 45, from Malkapur village, both in Buldhana district in Vidarbha, were brought to Aurangabad by a special flight from New Delhi and later taken to their native villages for last rites.
Huge crowds of mourners lined both sides of the roads, in buildings and on rooftops, many waving the national tricolour, as their funeral corteges entered their villages.
Led by their families, relatives, friends and others, teary-eyed mourners queued up to pay their final respects to the two departed troopers, offering flowers or garlands.
All along, the crowds raised slogans of 'Nitin Rathod Amar Rahe', 'Sanjay Rajput Amar Rahe', and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' as the grieving families of both the troopers arrived for the last rites.
Both were accorded a funeral with full state honours with several civil, police and military officials, local elected representatives and people from adjoining villages in attendance.