Amritsar: People from all walks of life bid a tearful adieu to Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, who was martyred in a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.   Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas (32) of Maharashtra, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) and Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh (30) of Punjab, and Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) of Haryana were killed in a cross-border firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Keri sector yesterday. Singh's last rites were performed with full military honours.   

The martyr's body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought in an Army vehicle. A large number of people gathered to pay their last respects to the martyr, who had joined the force nearly 14 years ago.   A month ago, Singh had visited his family in his native village.   Singh, the sole breadwinner in his family, is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and an eight-year-old daughter Vipindeep Kaur.   His father Tarsem Singh (65), mother Gurmeet Kaur, younger brother Harpreet Singh and sister Daljit Kaur also lived in the same house in a joint family.   

"We were informed about the death yesterday in the evening telephonically by the Army authorities," his father said.   He said the family has a small piece of agricultural land, but it was not enough to sustain a large family now that the sole breadwinner was no more.   Earlier, Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka from Amritsar on the behalf of Punjab government laid a wreath on the martyr before his last rites were performed.   Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar Kamaldeep Sangha announced a grant of Rs 12 lakh and a job to one member of the family and free education to children of the martyr.   

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Sepoy Pargat Singh, who hailed from Ramba village in Karnal, were flown to the Ambala Airforce Station. Pargat's body, wrapped in tricolour, was extended full military honours by the officers and troops of Ambala Airforce Station, a press statement said.   Afterwards, it was handed over to his relatives and moved for cremation in his hometown in Karnal under a military escort. PTI