Colonel S Madhav Perumal, who died in a landmine blast triggered by militants in Assam two days ago was cremated with full military honors in Hyderabad in the presence of hundreds of mourners including the army men.The last rites took place amid gun salute as wreaths were laid on behalf of different units of army and the state government.The state home minister Sabita Indra Reddy was among the important personalities who attended the funeral of the officer.
A medical doctor in the army Col Perumal died at a time when his family was waiting for his arrival for a brief break. Col Perumal's mortal remains were flown to Hyderabad on Tuesday and taken to military hospital and after the postmortem the body was taken to his residence in East Maredpally.
Perumal's was a multifaceted personality as he had started his career in the army as a paratrooper and then served as a doctor in the army. He had degrees in medicine, law and management. He had escaped narrowly during the Kargil war.
Col Perumal also served with the peace keeping force in Uganda for some time. "After coming home, he was to accompany his daughter Rashmi to Dehradun where she is studying LLB in Army Institute of Law", said Perumal's father-in-law Potharaju, a retired deputy superintendent of police. While Rashmi is a second year student of law, her brother Jayanth is working as a House Surgeon in army's dental hospital in Hyderabad. "He too wants in the footsteps of his father and join army", said Potharaju.
