{Pahalgam attack} Naval officer cremated with full military honours in Karnal

Indian Naval officer Vinay Narwal, 26, was cremated with full military honours at the cremation grounds in Model Town area of Karnal on Wednesday.

His younger sister Srishti Narwal lit the pyre as a sea of people emerged at the grounds amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.

Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli, Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema, former deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja, deputy commissioner Uttam Singh, superintendent of police Ganga Ram Punia, MLA Jagmohan Anand and others were present.

Vinay was among the 26 tourists who were shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

He was on a honeymoon with his wife Himanshi Narwal to the hilltown when he was shot dead by the terrorists.

Soon after getting the news, Vinay’s father had reached Srinagar on Tuesday along with his younger daughter Srishti and Himanshi’s parents from Gurugram, Sunil Dutt and Poonam Sowami.

They arrived with the body at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, where Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also paid his mark of respect by laying a wreath at the mortal remains.

Later in the evening, they reached their residence in Karnal’s Sector 7, from where the body was carried in a vehicle adorned with flowers to the cremation ground that turned into a cavalcade with several locals joining in their two-wheelers and cars.

Apart from Hindu customs at the cremation, Naval officers paid their respect during the wreath-laying ceremony.

In a heart-wrenching scene marked by silence and salutes, the widow of the deceased naval officer stood inconsolable at the funeral ceremony held in honour of her husband.

Similarly, deceased’s sister Srishti sought justice while Saini tried to console her.

“They asked my brother if he is a Muslim and shot him thrice. No one came for him for 1.5 hours. I want them dead, sir. I want justice,” she told the CM.

Calling Lieutenant Narwal a brave and dedicated soldier, Saini expressed his condolences and prayed for the departed soul.

Speaking to media, he condemned the attack as a cowardly act and said that strict action would be taken against those responsible.

“Such people must be taught a lesson, so they never dare to commit such acts again,” he said, adding that a search is underway to track down the attackers.

He further said, “Vinay Narwal’s wife told me that during the firing, no person stood for her at the attack site. Her courage is praiseworthy that she stayed amid the firing. But let me tell you that a befitting reply will be given.”