Major Taher Khan laid to rest with Telangana honours

Hyderabad: Major Taher Hussain Khan was laid to rest with full military honours on Friday at a graveyard near the Malla Reddy Medical College near his house at Suraram village in Quthbullapur mandal in the presence of his family, relatives and locals.

Thirty-year-old Major Khan had died while on duty on Wednesday evening when the Dhruv helicopter he was co-piloting crashed in the Kurshu forest at Safapura of Bandipora district in Kashmir.
The funeral prayers were attended by a large number of locals people at around 10:30 am followed by wreath laying and floral tributes with full military honours.

Around 500 Army personnel also paid homage to Major Khan amidst sounding of the Last Post by buglers of the AOC Centre and a three-gun salute. A large number of civil officials and officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force attended the ceremony. Floral wreaths were laid on behalf of the Chief of the Army Staff, the GOC-in-C, Southern Command and GOC ATNK&K Area by Brigadier Ajai Singh Negi, Officiating General Office Commanding of the Andhra Sub Area, and other officers. Wreaths on behalf of the Governor and the Chief Minister were also laid.

The scene at Major Khan’s house in Quthbullapur was heart rendering. His father Sarwar Hussain Khan, a retired Air Force officer, was inconsolable. Everyone was reduced to tears as his mother cried “Khuda Hafiz mere bacche”.

Major Khan’s elder brother, who is in the Army and his younger brother, currently posted in the Air Force Station at Begumpet, stood beside their parents and consoled them.Telangana minister T. Padma Rao Goud and the local MLA also attended the funeral.