Guwahati, Sep 11 (IANS): The bodies of two Indian Navy officers who died during the INS Sindhurakshak accident in Mumbai Aug 14 were brought to their respective homes Wednesday.
Officials of the district administration concerned said the mortal remains of both officers would be cremated tomorrow.
The bodies of both Narottam Deuri and Timothy Sinha, hailing from Lakhimpur and Cachar district, respectively, were recovered from the sunken submarine in such a condition that the Navy had to carry out DNA tests to identify them.
Officials said Deuri's body was brought to the Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport near Guwahati around 11.30 a.m. today by Navy, Army and Air force officials. From Guwahati, his family members took his body by road to his native village in Lakhimpur.
The body of Sinha was, however, taken directly to his hometown Silchar by air and it was received by the Cachar district administration and the family members.
Several students' bodies, including the All Assam Deuri Students' Union (AADSU), however, slammed the Assam government for not showing respect to the mortal remains of Deuri as there was no one from the Assam government to receive the body at the airport and to pay tributes.
The AADSU also accused the Congress government in the state of not paying respect to a naval soldier who had sacrificed his life on duty.
While Deuri joined the Indian Navy in 2010 and was posted in Mumbai last year, Sinha was posted to INS Sindhurakshak in July last year.
The submarine had sunk after multiple blasts in the Mumbai naval dockyard that claimed the lives of 18 navy personnel who were on board.