Niranjan’s unfulfilled promise for his daughter

Palakkad: Lt. Col. Niranjan E. Kumar, who was laid to rest Tuesday with full military honours, had an unfulfilled promise for her daughter Vismaya.

NSG braveheart Niranjan had missed his daughter’s first birthday due to his hectic work schedule. This time, he had promised to celebrate her birthday along with family in Bengaluru on April 4. Unfortunately, fate had something else planned for him and the brave soldier bid adieu to all while on duty.

A pall of gloom descended on Elambulassery, a rustic village, near Mannakkad, in Palakkad, when the body of the slain Lt. Col. was brought to his ancestral home. His daughter Vismaya was sleeping on the shoulders of a relative. She didn’t know her father won’t return to celebrate her birthday. Her innocent face became everyone’s pain.

32-year-old Niranjan, head of the elite bomb squad of the NSG, was killed while defusing an IED at at Pathankot IAF base on Sunday.

The body was brought to the officer's ancestral village from Bengaluru in a special helicopter yesterday. His wife Dr Radhika, who accompanied the body, was seen breaking down inconsolably.

Niranjan’s father said he last spoke to his son at around 5 pm on Saturday.

“I called him up at around 5 pm. I was taking my evening walk and wanted to get some information from him. When I called, he said he was engaged in an operation. He said he would call me back,” he said.

Niranjan Kumar, whose parents hail from Palakkad in Kerala, was settled in Bengaluru. They moved to Bengaluru 38 years ago. He was recently promoted to Lt. Colonel and was posted as NSG Commando in New Delhi.

It was during the last Onam festival in September Niranjan along with his family had visited his ancestral home at Elambulassery.