Ghaziabad, Feb 19 (IANS): The last rites of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Ajay Chaudhary, one of the 40 killed in the Pulwama terror attack, were held in Ghaziabad district on Tuesday with full state honours.

Additional District Magistrate, Executive, Jitendra Kumar said that while Chaudhary hailed from Basi Tikri village in neighbouring Meerut district, his family and the Meerut district administration decided to hold the funeral in Patla town as it was the nearest prominent place.

As Chaudhary's body was being brought to the grounds of the Chaudhary Charan Singh ITI where it was to be cremated, a huge crowd assembled at the spot to pay homage. Union Minister Satya Pal Singh, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary and local legislators Somendra Dhaka, K.P. Malik and Manju Siwach were also present.

The martyr's wife Priyanka broke down as the crowd chanted "Ajay Chaudhary Amar Rahe" and as their two-year-old son, shouting 'Hindustan Zindabad' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', lit the funeral pyre with the help of his grandfather Vir Pal Singh.