Suryapet: The people of Suryapet paid tributes to Colonel B Santosh Babu, thousands of people gathered on the both sides of the roads on his way to the cremation place on Thursday. Colonel B Santosh Babu was cremated with the full military honors. Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Santosh Babu Amar Rahe”.

Thousands of people wearing masks took part in the funeral procession, while scores of others, standing on the balconies of their houses, showered flowers on the army vehicles which carried the body. For the flower bedecked cortege to reach the five kilometers distance from the slain Colonel Santosh Babu’s house in Vidya Nagar colony to the family owned agricultural land at Kasarabad village, it took nearly two and a half hours.

The slain Santosh Babu’s father B. Upender performed the last rights of his son in the half an  acre farm land on the outskirts of Suryapet. He lighted the funeral pyre afternoon with his three year old grandson Anirudh Teja, placing his hand on him. Colonel Santosh’s wife Santoshi carried Anirudh during the final rights. The body was draped in the national flag.

The Army jawans accorded a gun salute to the slain Santosh Babu.