MUMBAI, May 10 -- Residents of Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar gathered in grief and solidarity on Friday afternoon at the local Muthumariamman temple, to pay their respects to 23-year-old Murali Naik, a soldier who was martyred while serving at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir. Murali lost his life at around 3am on Friday. Murali was the only child of Shriram and Jyoti Naik, a couple who had lived in Kamraj Nagar for more than 30 years before recently moving to Andhra Pradesh after their home was demolished under a slum redevelopment project last month. Confirming the news of Murali's death, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his condolences through a post on X. "It is saddening to hear of the loss of a soldier named Murali Naik from Gorantla Mandal, Penukonda assembly constituency, Sri Sathya Sai district, in the defence of the country. Tributes to the martyr Murali Naik, who laid down his life for the nation. I express my deepest condolences to his family members." Born in Kalitanada village in Andhra Pradesh, Murali was raised there by his maternal uncle, Laxman Naik. He had always dreamt of serving the nation in uniform. "Since childhood, Murali wanted to join the police or armed forces," Laxman recalled. "While studying for his BCom degree, he was also preparing for the armed forces. He failed two attempts, but in 2022, he was selected under the Agniveer scheme in his first attempt. He was so happy when he was selected." Murali began his military training in Nashik on December 29, 2022, and was initially posted in Assam after completing a nine-month training programme. He was later transferred to Punjab and then J&K just three days before he was killed in the line of duty. "He visited Mumbai in March to meet his parents," said Laxman. "We were planning to get him married. Talks were underway with a few families, and he was supposed to come home on three months' leave at the end of May. We were planning to hold the wedding them. But before that, we lost him." Murali's parents - his father a daily wage labourer and his mother a domestic worker in Mumbai - were well-known in Kamraj Nagar. "Murali used to visit us during every vacation. He loved roaming around and chatting with the neighbours," said Ratnam Devendra, a long-time neighbour. "His father was also very active in the community and often raised local issues, which made them well-connected in the area." Even after relocating to their native place in mid-April, the Naik family's ties to Kamraj Nagar remain strong. Laxman, who still lives in the area, said, "We are heartbroken by Murali's loss, but at the same time, we feel proud of his sacrifice." Local Shiv Sena leader Parmeshwar Kadam said that senior leaders, including deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and industries minister Uday Samant, will attend Murali's last rites in his village on Saturday. "His father played a key role in helping us reach out to people during the Kamraj Nagar redevelopment project. He explained to them the benefits of the project and encouraged them to support it," Kadam said....