Thane (Maharashtra), Aug 9 (IANS) Thousands of people, including grieving family members and friends, here on Thursday received the mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane who was killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rane was among the four Army personnel killed in a gunfight with terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipura district on Tuesday.
His body reached his home in Mira Road town here early on Thursday, an official said.
Late on Wednesday, the coffin, draped in the national Tricolour, arrived in Mumbai where it was solemnly received by Rane's grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.
Early on Thursday, decked with flowers the coffin was brought to his hometown in a military truck for the last rites which will be performed with full military honours later in the day.
Thousands of emotional onlookers lined the roads on both sides or from building tops and terraces as they showered flowers on the coffin, raising slogans of "Major Kaustubh Rane, Amar Rahe" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", waving the Indian flag. Many women could be seen weeping.
Since Tuesday, the Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely five km north of Mumbai.
Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.
His father had retired from a Tata Group company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.
The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune, and was later commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai in 2011.
The Major had visited Mira Road town in April for a brief period before returning to the front.
It was a proud moment for the family when Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.
