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Nation pays homage to Col Mahadik who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir

Last updated on: November 18, 2015 16:06 IST

Army jawans carry the body of Colonel Santosh Y Mahadik during wreath laying ceremony at 15 Corps headquarters Badami Bagh in Srinagar on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI

The army on Wednesday paid floral tributes to Colonel Santosh Mahadik, Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, who was killed while battling militants near Line of Control in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

Tributes to the valour and sacrifice of the late officer were paid in a solemn ceremony held at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Jammu.

Officers and jawans of the 41 RR paying their tributes to Colonel Santosh Mahadik. Photograph: PTI

Top army officers including, Northern Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda, and officers from the Border Security Force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police laid floral wreaths on the coffin.

Mahadik, 39, a resident of Maharashtra, who was the commanding officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, was critically injured during an operation in the Haji Naka forest area of Kupwara near the LoC in Kashmir on Tuesday.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda paying floral tributes to Colonel Santosh Y Mahadik during a wreath laying ceremony. Photograph: PTI

He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital later. Col Mahadik, an officer from the elite 21 Para-Special Forces unit, was awarded a Sena Medal for gallantry during Operation Rhino in the North-East in 2003.