The remains of Thomas Cheriyan, a Malayali soldier who perished in a plane crash in Ladakh 56 years ago, have been returned to his hometown of Elanthoor. Thousands gathered to honor the fallen soldier, whose funeral, with full military honors, is set to take place at St. Peter’s Orthodox Church in Karoor. Cheriyan, a 22-year-old craftsman in the Indian Army, was one of 103 people aboard the ill-fated flight that crashed on February 7, 1968.
His body, recovered from the mountainous terrain last Wednesday, was transported to Thiruvananthapuram before being taken to his family home in Elanthoor for a public viewing. A mourning procession will accompany his body to St. Peter’s Church, where the funeral rites will be held at 2 pm. Cheriyan’s return has drawn widespread attention, with Union and state ministers, military personnel, and family members attending the solemn proceedings.
Cheriyan, who joined the Indian Army in 1965, was one of 96 soldiers who lost their lives in the crash. After decades, his body was discovered during a search operation last Monday at 3:30 pm, bringing a long-awaited closure to his family and community.
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