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The mortal remains of the Captain R Veera Raja Reddy, who was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, were on Friday evening consigned to flames in a sombre ceremony in Hyderabad.
The body was cremated at Amberpet with full military honours. A large number of people braved inclement weather to pay their last respects to the martyr.
Initially, army authorities wanted Raja Reddy's family members to be flown to Rajouri for the last rites since his body was badly mutilated.
However, they shifted the body to Hyderabad at the intervention of Defence Minister George Fernandes.
The coffin containing Raja Reddy's body was brought to Hyderabad's Begumpet airport by a special military aircraft.
His close relatives and friends, Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy, Tourism Minister T Srinivas Yadav and senior army officials were among those present at the airport.
The body was taken to the military hospital at Trimulgherry for chemical treatment and later brought in a bedecked army truck to Raja Reddy's residence at Ramanathapur in a procession.
Originally from Saidapur village in Yadagirigutta mandal in neighbouring Nalgonda district, Raja Reddy's family had settled in Hyderabad.
Relatives, friends, neighbours, and senior military officials of the 69th Field Artillery Regiment, defence personnel and others gathered at the house in large numbers to pay their last respects.
State Home Minister T Devender Goud called on the bereaved family and laid a wreath on the body on behalf of the state government.
EARLIER REPORT Army captain's death in Rajouri leaves family shattered
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