Drowned Army officer cremated with military honours in Kochi

The body of an Army captain, who died after falling into a swollen river with his car in Madhya Pradesh on August 15, was cremated with full military honours at a public crematorium in Pachalam near here on Friday, officials said. Captain Nirmal Sivarajan (32), who hailed from Mamangalam in Ernakulam district of Kerala, had fallen into the swollen Bachwada river while he was driving back to Pachmarhi on August 15 after meeting his wife, a Lieutenant posted in Jabalpur.

When the body was brought on Friday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered at his residence at Mamangalam in the city to pay their last respects to the departed Army captain.

Ernakulam District Collector Renu Raj laid a wreath on his body on behalf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

State Industries Minister P Rajeeve, Ernakulam MP Hibi, MLAs and corporation authorities also paid their homage to the Army captain.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba visited the bereaved family of Captain Sivarajan.