Lt. Gen. C.N. Somanna (retd) passed away at his residence at Virajpet in Kodagu district on Saturday. He was 93, and is survived by wife, son, and daughter. He was cremated at his estate in Virajpet in Kodagu district on Sunday.
He was one of the senior-most veterans of the armed forces in Kodagu district, which has a tradition of youngsters joining the defence services.
Honours
Lt. Gen. Somanna was Adjutant in the Gurkhas in the same battalion as Gen. Bipin Rawat, who is now the Chief of Defence Staff.
He was handpicked by Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa when he converted 3 Infantry Battalions into Brigade of Guards. He was Adjutant in 2Guards (1 Punjab), and as a captain was also instructor at the Indian Military Academy.
He commanded 4Guards in Udaipur and was the Deputy Director Military Operations (DDMO) during the 1971 operations.
He was DMO during Operation Blue Star and retired as Deputy Chief in the Army, according to a defence spokesperson in Bengaluru.
Reacting to Lt. Gen. Somanna’s passing away, former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ved Prakash Malik tweeted: “Salute! An exemplary leader, General Somanna was an epitome of *military values and traditions. Proud to have commanded the same Corps as him”.