BHUBANESWAR:
Martyred Odia CRPF jawan Manoranjan Lenka was cremated with full state honours at his ancestral village Rebana Nuagoan in Puri district on Wednesday.
A pall of gloom descended over the martyr’s village. Lenka’s body was taken to his native village in a big procession. His family members and friends were crying inconsolably during the procession.
Hundreds of people from Rebana Nugaon and its nearby villages joined in the procession to pay tribute to the brave son of soil. Last rites were performed in the presence of Brahmagiri MLA Sanjay Kumar Dasburma, Puri collector Arvind Agarwal and other government officials.
“We had talked over phone a few days ago. He was my childhood friend. I cannot digest the early demise of my friend. It’s a great loss for us,” said a friend of 25-year-old Lenka.
He had rejoined the duty on Tuesday after having been on leave for a few days to mourn his father Duryodhan’s death. His father died due to illness on February 7. He died on his birthday.
Earlier in the day, mortal remains of the martyr were brought to the Biju Patnaik International Airport here in a special plane. He was given a guard of honour at the airport. Ministers Shashi Bhusan Behera, Bikram Keshari Arukh and Badri Narayan Patra and senior police officers paid tribute to the martyr.
Lenka was one among the nine CRPF personnel who were killed when their vehicle was blown up by Maoists by using IED between Kistaram and Palodi in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. He had joined the reserved force on October 27, 2014, in the rank of constable GD. He was posted to 212 Battalion at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.
