After a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 6 January, the Kerala government has announced that the family of late Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar will be given a compensation of Rs 50 lakh. The government has also offered a job to the martyr's wife, Dr Radhika, and will bear the educational expenses of Niranjan's two-year-old daughter Vismaya.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government had earlier offered to pay a compensation of Rs 30 lakh to the brave commando's kin as the family had been residing in Bengaluru for 40 years.
In another gesture honouring the martyr, Kerala Labour Minister Shibu Baby John announced on Tuesday the industrial training institute (ITI) in Niranjan's native Elambulassery village would be renamed after him. The Elambulassery government ITI will now be known as Lt Col Niranjan Memorial Government ITI.
"The government will provide full care to the family of Lt Col Niranjan Kumar who died in the terrorist attack at the Pathankot IAF base. The government has decided to provide his family with Rs 50 lakh as solatium and a government job to his wife. The educational expenses of his daughter will be borne by the government. It has also been decided to sanction Rs 4 crore for the renovation of the 10 km road from Ponnamkodu to Elambulassery in the native place of Lt Col Niranjan," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy posted on his Facebook page.
The 34-year-old National Security Guard (NSG) officer was killed during an operation against terrorists at Punjab's Pathankot air base on Sunday, 3 January. His mortal remains were brought to his residence in Bengaluru on Monday and later to Elambulassery in Palakkad, where thousands, including Oommen Chandy and his Cabinet colleagues, paid homage to the victim of Pathankot terror attack on Monday and Tuesday. He was cremated at his ancestral home with full military honours on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Anwar Sadhiq from Malappuram has been arrested under Section 124 (A) of the Indian Penal Code on sedition charges for posting insulting and insensitive comments on Niranjan. "So, another troublemaker is also gone. Now government will pay and give a job to his wife and we commoners get nothing. Such a stinking Indian democracy, (sic)", he had said on Facebook after the news of Niranjan's death broke out on social media.
Read more: Anwar Sadhiq insults Niranjan Kumar as nation pays homage to late NSG officer
