Final Tribute To Pathankot Martyr Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar

The mortal remains of Lt Col E K Niranjan, who died in the Pathankot terror attack, has been consigned to flames in his native village Elambulassery. The valourous Niranjan, who was with NSG’s bomb detection squad, made the supreme sacrifice while defusing an explosive from a terrorist’s body at the IAF base at Pathankot on Sunday.

The body of the brave martyr was flown from Bangalore to this village in Palakkad on Monday evening, where thousands of people thronged to pay their last respects to the mortal remains of Lt Col. The body was placed in his uncle’s residence since Monday evening. It was later shifted to the local school ground. People, even from far away places arrived to pay their last respects to the brave officer, raising slogans and paying floral tributes.

Although Niranjan was born and brought up in Bangalore, where his father E K Sivarajan was employed, he kept relations with his Kalarickal family members at Elambulassery.

“Our village is now known after this youth who sacrificed his life for the nation,” says Sushma, a house wife.

Although he lived in Bangalore, Niranjan kept the native village close to his heart. In 2013, his marriage was held at the village. He used to take part in local temple festivals and family functions without failure.

Local people recalled that Niranjan had promised to visit his grand mother Padmavathiyamma, who lives with her youngest son, in November. But he never did. Niranjan would be laid to rest at a family-owned burial ground near his ancestral house. C Vinod, a villager, said, “We know that the Kalarikkal family has a young pattalakkaran (army man). But, we never knew that he was a Lt Col.”