Soldier Thomas Cherian's mortal remains laid to rest 56 years after his death

Thiruvananthapuram: The mortal remains of Thomas Cherian, a soldier who perished in a plane crash in Himachal Pradesh 56 years ago, were laid to rest at his ancestral home in Pathanamthitta district on Friday.

The funeral was held at St. Peter's Orthodox Church in Karur, Elanthoor, with full state honors. Before this, the mortal remains had been taken to the residence of Shaiju Mathew, the son of Thomas Mathew, Cherian's elder brother.

Army personnel escorted the remains from Elanthur Market junction at 10:30 am. The funeral services, led by Kuriakose Mar Clemis Metropolitan, commenced at 12:15 pm. The procession to St. Peter's Orthodox Church, Karur, began at 12:40 pm.

The body was kept for public viewing between 1 pm and 2 pm. After the final prayer service, the body was interred with full military honors in a specially prepared burial chamber.

Minister Veena George offered respects on behalf of the state government. Additionally, the condolence message from Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, was read out at the funeral ceremony.

Cherian, a craftsman in the Indian Army, was just 22 when the AN-12 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed over the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh. The twin-engine turbo-propelled transport aircraft, which was carrying 102 people, went missing on February 7, 1968, during its flight from Chandigarh to Leh.

Another soldier E M Thomas, from Ranni in Pathanamthitta, also lost his life in the same crash. However, his mortal remains have yet to be found. Thomas's family remains hopeful that they will recover their loved one's remains.