Assam Rifles rifleman V Teja, a native of Rayagada district in Odisha, died after sustaining a gunshot wound while on operational duty in Nagaland, two days before his 31st birthday.
Teja, who joined the armed forces in 2022, was serving with the 15th Assam Rifles. His mortal remains were brought to Rayagada on Tuesday, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects.
A motorcycle rally was organised in his honour from around 10 km outside Rayagada. Hundreds joined the procession, which featured fireworks, DJ music and chants of “Long live the martyred soldier”.
Teja was due to turn 31 on October 7 and was expected to return home for Diwali ahead of his wedding scheduled for December.
Naib Subedar Ravindra Kumar Naik of the 15th Assam Rifles, who accompanied the body, said his responsibility was to hand over Teja’s remains to his family. He said the circumstances surrounding the death would become clear after the post-mortem examination.
Teja’s maternal uncle said the family had been informed that he died in the line of duty after suffering a gunshot wound.
His death left his parents and other family members devastated, as relatives, neighbours and local residents gathered outside his home to pay their respects.
Teja had reportedly pledged to donate his organs about two years ago. Following his death, a local hospital collected and preserved his organs in accordance with his wishes.
His mortal remains were flown by helicopter to Visakhapatnam before being taken by ambulance to Rayagada. The district administration is preparing to pay tribute to him on Thursday morning, with funeral rites scheduled to begin at 7 am.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over Teja’s death and said his service and sacrifice for the country would be remembered. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also paid tribute, describing the soldier’s courage and sacrifice as a matter of pride for Odisha and the nation.
Teja’s death came days after an ambush near the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh on September 29, in which Havildar Jankhokai Kuki was killed and four others were injured.
