Mysuru: People turned out in large number to pay their last respects to sepoy Mahesh P N, killed with nine other soldiers at the Siachen glacier, at his funeral where the rites were conducted according to Veerashaiva customs in Pashupathi village on Tuesday.
Also present were Army men from the Madras Regiment Centre, Nilgiris. The body was received by the district administration at the government guest house in Mysuru at around 11.40 pm Monday night.
The 29-year-old’s death when he had only 15 days of duty left on the Siachen glacier has left his mother, Sarvamangala broken.
“I always had a lot of confidence in him. He was a winner all through. I never dreamt this would happen. Even when we heard he was missing, I hoped he would come back alive. He had just 15 days of duty left in Siachen,” she sobbed while her older son P.N. Manjunath comforted her.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who paid homage to the soldier both at the government guest house in Mysuru and again at HD Kote on Tuesday, gave a cheque for Rs 25 lakh to his family and promised it four acres of land, a site and a government job to any one of its members.
