The mortal remains of the Siachen braveheart brought by Major Naren Babu and other Army officials in a special vehicle from Hyderabad, reached his native village Parnapalle at around 12.30 a.m.

All the roads led to Parnapalle village in Bandi Atmakur mandal in Kurnool District, where Mustaq Ahmed, a Sepoy of Madras Regiment, who attained martyrdom in an avalanche strike at Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir, was laid to rest with State honours on Tuesday.

The mortal remains of the Siachen braveheart brought by Major Naren Babu and other Army officials in a special vehicle from Hyderabad, reached his native village Parnapalle at around 12.30 a.m., almost 12 days after declaration of his death.

His family members, relatives and large number of people paid their last respects to the sepoy’s body wrapped with the National Flag, placed at Parnapalle panchayat office.

Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishnamurthy, District Collector Ch. Vijayamohan and MLC S. Chakrapani Reddy placed wreaths on the sepoy’s body and paid homage. Mr. Krishnamurthy visited his house, offered heartfelt condolences and presented a cheque for Rs. 25 lakh to the soldier’s widow Nasimunnisa.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Government would offer a Government job to Ms. Nasimunnisa, basing on her educational qualification besides allotting a house site of 300 yards at either Kurnool or Nandyal. The Government would extend all the needy assistance to the bereaved family of the soldier, who laid down his life while fighting for the country.

Mustaq Ahmed, the first youth of Parnapalle to join the Indian Army 12 years ago, inspired eight other youth of the village to follow suit, Telugu Desam Party MLC Silpa Chakrapani Reddy said and paid homage.

Opposition leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy also visited Parnapalle and paid homage to the soldier and offered condolences to his widow.

Major Madhu Maneesh and Indian Army soldiers presented a guard of honour and lowered their guns and police personnel opened three rounds of fire in the air as a mark of respect to the departed soldier. Army personnel carried Mustaq Ahmed’s body from the panchayat office to the burial ground about half a km away, where Muslim religious elders and his three brothers performed the last rites.

Mustaq Ahmed, who married Nasimunnisa in August 2014, was blessed with a son Syed Mohsin on August 3, 2015. He left Parnapalle on the call of duty to Siachen Glacier on August 18 last year when his son was a fortnight old, promising to be back in six months, but returned as a martyr.