Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The family of Lance Naik Hemraj, one of the two soldiers brutally killed by Pakistani troops in J&K, has demanded that the missing head of the brave soldier be found at the earliest.
His inconsolable mother said that the family couldn’t see their breadwinner one last time, adding that they won’t get peace till the missing head is found.
Hemraj is survived by his wife Dharmvati, mother Meena, two daughters -- Nirmal (8), Kallo (3), son Prince and brothers Puran and Jai Singh. He was cremated with full military honours at his native village Khairar amid chanting of 'Hemraj Amar Rahen'.
Indian officials said the Pakistani soldiers sneaked some 600 meters into a forested part of Sona Gali under the cover of a thick fog and killed the two soldiers who were leading an Indian patrol.
The two soldiers were ambushed amid a thick fog that greatly reduced visibility in the area.
He said the patrol spotted some movement ahead, sparking a gun battle that lasted about 25 minutes.
When the patrol reached the two scouts, they found them beheaded.
The Indian Army said the head was taken away by the intruders dressed in black who officials said could be from the 29 Baloch Regiment.
India has lodged a "strong protest" with Pakistan after Pakistani troops shot dead and beheaded two of its soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in a gory replay of the 1999 Kargil killings.
In a strongly worded statement, India said the two "were killed ... and their bodies subjected to barbaric and inhuman mutilation".
New Delhi asked Islamabad to immediately probe the killings, which it said violated "all norms of international conduct".
Indian leaders made no efforts to hide their disgust.
Defence Minister AK Antony called the Tuesday killings in the border district of Poonch "highly provocative. The way they have treated the body of the Indian soldiers, it is inhuman".
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the mutilation of the soldiers was "an extremely sensitive matter".
Pakistan denied its involvement in the latest killings but India refused to buy the argument.
"Our troops did not carry out attack. Indians are making counter claims to cover their attack on a Pakistani post (Jan 6)," a Pakistani official said in Islamabad.
First Published: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 16:24