Ganesh N By

The villagers of Pimpalgaon in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra have made the residence of slain soldier Kundalik Mane, 36, out-of-bounds for media, VIPs and others persons.

The villagers have decided that Mane’s death should be revealed to his aged parents in the most subtle manner.

Mediapersons and VIPs, who made a beeline to meet the family, have been told to stay away. Brigadier Sudhir Sawant, a former Congress member, went to meet the family, but the villagers did not allow him. To ensure that the parents are not alerted, the villagers have quietly shut down all their establishments in the village. Even the village school has been closed for the past two days.

Villagers said that the body would be brought to Pune by 7 pm on Wednesday and to the village by Thursday morning.

Mane is survived by his wife Rajashri, two children and his aged parents. His entire family was dependent on him.

The state government has promised `5 lakhs for Mane’s family. However, the Bihar has announced `10 lakh aid to all the slain soldiers, including Mane.