Somu cremated with full military honours

Earlier, watched by Union Minister for Defence Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, his cabinet colleagues, Union Industries Minister Murasoli Maran, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas T R Baalu, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Dhanushkodi Adithan, the Chiefs of Staff of the three defence services and a host of other dignitaries, Thirumaran performed the last rites of the DMK minister to the accompaniment of the chanting of vedic mantras by a purohit.

The army which took charge of the funeral, brought the body of the minister in a closed coffin in an army vehicle to the Otteri crematorium from the minister’s residence in Purasawalkam. Eight pall-bearers, comprising senior officers from the three defence services, brought the coffin in a procession represented by columns of three defence services. As the army band comprising pipers and drummers played on, the personnel reversed arms and the defence service chiefs saluted. The coffin was placed on the pyre at 3.10 pm.

As a last mark of respect to the departed soul, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Karunanidhi, Murasoli Maran, defence chiefs Gen V P Malik, Admiral Vishnu Bhagat, and Air Chief Marshal S K Sarin, Defence Secretary Ajit Kumar, Defence Secretary (Production) T S Vijayaraghavan and Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister A P J Abdul Kalam placed wreaths in front of the pyre.

The coffin was opened to facilitate Thirumaran to have one last look at the body of his father, locked and the key handed over to the family.