The last rites of Indian Army jawan Balikuntra Venkata Subbaiah (42), who was martyred in a landmine blast in Jammu and Kashmir, were performed on Thursday in his hometown Narpara in Anantapur district.
Venkata Subbaiah was part of a team of jawans patrolling the border in Jammu’s Poonch district. On December 9, while patrolling near the border, he stepped on a landmine planted by terrorists. Officials said the jawan warned his colleagues to stay away and saved their lives before giving up his own.
Venkata Subbaiah hails from Ravipadu in Prakasam district and was selected into the Madras Regiment about 20 years ago. He is married to housewife Leelavati and has a 10-year-old son Venkata Nikhil Sai and a 7-year-old daughter Rasha Priya. The jawan’s wife and children live in Narpara. The family is currently building a house in Narpara. Venkata Subbaiah’s mother Garemma is staying in Ravipadu.
The jawan’s body was airlifted to Bengaluru airport on Wednesday night and later sent to Narpara. Local villagers, family members and NCC students staged a rally late Wednesday night to carry the body from Narpara Cross to their homes amidst slogans of ‘Subbaia Amar Rahe’.
In the morning his body was buried with full military honors in the garden of his home. Military personnel, police, revenue officials and local elected officials expressed their condolences to the deceased.
issued – December 12, 2024 7:55 PM IST
