Will Army Chief's visit to Hemraj's family end their woes?

New Delhi, Jan 16: The angry family members of martyred soldier Lance Naik Hemraj, who was beheaded by Pakistani Army last week, protested against the brutal killing by going on a fast. Wife and mother of Hemraj are demanding the severed head of the dead soldier to be brought back home. They broke their six-day-long fast on Monday, Jan 14 after UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav visited their house.

They have also asked Army Chief General Bikram Singh to visit their house and assure them that their demand would be fulfilled. Conceding to the demand of the bereaving family, Army Chief will visit Khairair in Mathura to meet the kin of Lance Naik Hemraj on Wednesday morning, Army officials said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Gen Singh had on Monday said he would visit the home of Hemraj, whose family had gone on a six-day fast demanding that his head be brought back from Pakistan.

"I will go there after the Army Day is over (today). There is no problem in it," the Army Chief had said addressing the annual Army Day press conference on Monday.

Hemraj and Sudhakar Singh were killed by Pakistani troops on Jan 8 in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Army regulars took away the head of Hemraj as a trophy and also mutilated the body of the other soldier.

Gen Singh had also said the Pakistan Army should be pressurised to return the Hemraj's head. "I think we should pressurise them nationally and internationally as part of our national element so that they are made accountable and they are made to return the head of our soldier which they have taken away," Singh had said.

"It will be taken up at the government level and you will have to appreciate that this has to be done through diplomatic channels," he had said.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from PTI)