The inconsolable wife of Lance Naik Gurdev Singh, Rajbir Kaur, with her children. Tribune photo: Vishal kumar

AMRITSAR: Lance Naik Gurdev Singh of the Sikh Regiment, who died in a gunbattle with the militants at Handwara in Kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated with full state honours at his native village Boparai Bajsingh on Tuesday.

The deceased is survived by his father Mehar Singh, wife Rajbir Kaur, daughter Avneet (4), son Lakshdeep (2), his brother Major Singh and sister Gurinder Kaur.

A sea of humanity, including his kin, inhabitants of his Boparai Bajsingh village, besides the army officials and politicians turned up at his residence as soon as his mortal remains reached his native village around 3 pm in a military vehicle to bid him a tearful adieu.

A number of people, including Col RR Kotwal, Deputy Commander, 54 Infantry Dograi Brigade; Col CDS Sandial, Commanding Officer, 12 JK Rifle; Major Navneesh Grungh, Cap VK Solanki, chairman, district planning committee; Vir Singh Lopoke, chairman, district planning board, Amritsar; Senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla, SDM Ajnala Surinder Singh and others, offered their respects to the departed soul by laying wreaths.

About the martyrs

The body of Sepoy Surinder Singh reaches his village Roriyan-Malaudh in Ludhiana. Tribune Photo: Himanshu mahajan

• Gurdev Singh served the Army for 13 years and was deputed in north Kashmir for the past two years
• An alumnus of Government Senior Secondary School in Malaudh, Surinder Singh had a penchant for watching patriotic plays and films
• Surinder's was the only steady income for the family