Lt Col Reddy cremated with military honours in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Amidst shouts of 'Vijay Bhanu amar rahe' and 'Bharat mata ki jai', the final rites of Lieutenant Colonel V Vijay Bhanu Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh, were performed with full military honours in his native village of Bommalaramaram in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Saturday.
Earlier during the day, Army chief General Manoj Pande visited Lt Col Reddy's residence in Malkajgiri and paid homage to his mortal remains. Lt Col Reddy and Major A Jagannath of Army Aviation lost their lives on March 16 during an operational sortie.
Lt Col Reddy's parents Narasimha Reddy and Vijayalaxmi were inconsolable. His wife Spandana, a doctor in the Indian Army, was crestfallen. Hundreds of people shouted 'jai jawan' slogans as the military vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Lt Col Reddy moved from Hyderabad to Bommalaramaram.
The mortal remains arrived on Friday night at Air Force Station, Begumpet, from Arunachal Pradesh by a service aircraft and were kept at his residence in Malkajgiri. Gen Pande laid a wreath and paid homage along with his wife Archana Pande to Lt Col Reddy. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. Southern Army commander Lt Gen AK Singh paid floral tributes to departed colonel.
It was a poignant moment as two daughters, aged six and four, of Lt Col Reddy clung to their mother who was in her army uniform. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan visited the family and extended her condolences.