Team News Riveting
Raigarh, November 15
The industrial town of Raigarh today bid a teary adieu to Assam Rifles’ Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his wife and son who were martyred in Manipur on Saturday.
The last rites of Colonel Tripathi, his wife Anuja and son Abeer were performed Monday afternoon with full state honours. The Colonel, his family and four jawans of the 46 Assam Rifles were martyred on Saturday when People’s Liberation Army (PLA) guerrillas ambushed the convoy in Manipur’s Churachandpur district along the Indo-Myanmar border. The officer was returning after the inspection of a forward post.
Colonel Viplav hailed from Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district. His father Subhash Tripathi is a senior journalist while his younger brother is also serving the Nation as an Indian Army officer.
The bodies were brought to Raigarh in a special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane and kept at Ramleela Maidan for the people to pay their last respect. While the city remained closed in honour of the slain Colonel and his family, all roads led to the Maiden where people thronged to pay their last tributes to the brave hearts. The final journey started from the Maiden that reached Circuit House Crematorium where the last rites were performed with full military honours.
A contingent of Assam Rifles led by senior officials had reached Raigarh. The officers earlier reached Colonel’s house and consoled the family members. The funeral procession passed through the city roads as people lined up on both sides to have the last glimpses of the officer and his family that laid their lives for the motherland.
