Twenty-six days after they met with a tragic end on board the INS Sindhurakshak, the navy today finally confirmed identification of the bodies of Assam sailors Timothy Sinha and Naruttam Deuri on the basis of DNA profiling results.
Timothy, 29, from Cachar and Naruttam, 21, from Lakhimpur, were among the 18 sailors on board the Russia-made submarine docked at the Mumbai naval docks on the night of August 14 when a powerful explosion sank it. There were no survivors.
The duo’s parents, who have been waiting for the results since they gave blood samples for DNA matching on August 17, received word from the navy this morning.
Timothy’s mother Mitra Chakravarty Sinha told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai that the news had brought relief to her and her husband Vidyaratan Sinha, a Baptist pastor. “Though we could not take our son back alive, we can at least take solace in the fact that we can now accord him a decent burial with elaborate church service and prayers,” she said.
She said she would start for home — Pailapool village in Cachar district’s Lakhipur subdivision — with the mortal remains of her son on Tuesday evening and reach Silchar on Wednesday morning, following which he would be accorded a formal burial, either late on Wednesday or Thursday morning.
The Cachar district administration, according to official sources here, is preparing to accord an official farewell to the sailor, with army and police personnel according him a guard of honour ahead of the burial.
Naruttam’s father Jyotish Chandra Deuri told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai that the navy informed him about the identification of his son’s body this morning. He said the remains were sealed in a coffin and would be handed over to Mumbai police to be sent to Assam next week.
Deuri, who has been camping in Mumbai since August 15, said he was not allowed to look at the body, as, according to the navy, it was badly decomposed. “Though it was heartbreaking, I now at least have the solace that my son has been identified,” he said.
His brother, Kabinet, said they had already informed the villagers back home — Narayanpur Major Chapori in Lakhimpur district — and preparations were on to accord a befitting farewell to Naruttam.
Tuesday 10 September 2013
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130910/jsp/frontpage/story_17332021.jsp
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